


Slow Dancing In Moonlight

by Dragonquillca, FrijoleJones



Series: My Silent Place, My Home [3]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Secrets, MS - Freeform, Major Illness, Multiple Sclerosis, Same-Sex Marriage, Side Story, Story within a Story, an author's life, science fiction sub-story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-05-09 16:03:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 69,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5546489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonquillca/pseuds/Dragonquillca, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrijoleJones/pseuds/FrijoleJones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the third part of My Silent Place, My Home, Ashlyn Harris & Dakota Undomiel are mere months away from getting married on the beach, surrounded by friends and family, but not all family is welcome. Especially when it's been made exceedingly clear they wanted nothing to do with one of them. So what happens when a letter comes from an unexpected family member looking to make amends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Six Months

**Author's Note:**

> Wedding planning can be a crazy exercise, but good friends and family can be a great help. But just when things start to go smoothly for our girls, someone has to throw a monkey wrench into things.

**** Dakota had risen early and was out on the veranda with her coffee. She hadn’t started her workday yet. For now, she was content to watch the horizon and think about the wedding of their dreams. Tammye had secured the stretch of beach they had adopted as ‘their spot’ when they were first dating, which pleased them both. Even if Dakota had to move heaven and earth to use the beach behind the house, Ash would be able to bury her toes in the sand as she said her vows.    

She sighed deeply as the sky assumed its daytime mantel. It was time to get moving. She had a few hours left before she had to meet Tammye for lunch. Fortunately, neither Orlando nor Seattle had a game scheduled, so Pinoe and Hope had flown in to help their friends with as much wedding planning as they could all squeeze in. Ali had decided to bow out of her game and join them in Palm Harbor. When she had announced her decision on social media, there was a bit of a backlash from some of her fans, but most were supportive. It helped that she had specified she was a member of Ash’s wedding party.

 

Ash’s fans, for the most part, had gotten accustomed to seeing Dakota at her side. When fans approached, asking for photos, Dakota was always quick to offer to take the pictures for them. Occasionally, she would wander onto the fan forums, most especially when sleep eluded her. Her account on the forums was in her own name, all the better when she would find someone praising Ash’s body and a desire to ‘tap that’. She always responded with,

_ ‘As good as you fantasize she is...she’s better. And I  _ **_have_ ** _ tapped that.’ _

_ Dakota Undomiel  _

 

The board always got a bit quieter for a few days when she did that. It still amused her.

 

She changed into her one piece swimsuit and was leisurely doing laps in the pool when she saw Ash step out onto the veranda.

“Hey there, pretty lady, you’re up early.” Ashlyn said as she approached the pool. She bent down and kissed Dakota tenderly.

“You’ve already gone for your run.” Dakota smiled once her girlfriend had released her lips.

“Yeah, I gave Miranda a bit of a workout this morning. She was really pushing to keep up with me a few times.” Ash chuckled. “Have you seen Eve yet?”

“Not yet. I have no idea how you can run in this heat without passing out.” Dakota pulled herself from the pool and padded over to Ash, who held out a large towel.

Ash wrapped her firmly in the terry cloth and then in her own arms as she stood behind her and said softly, “You know I adore you, right?”

“Never doubted it for a second.” 

They stood that way for a few minutes, perfectly content to soak up the early morning sun.

 

“Six more months…” Ash murmured. “Six months from now, we’re going to be married.”

“So much to do yet.” Dakota sighed. “Did you ever decide what kind of cake you want?”

“Can we have chocolate with white icing?”

“We can have whatever you want, sweetheart. It’s  _ our _ day, and I only plan on doing this once in our lives. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll have.”

“Hope, Pinoe and Ali are arriving today, right?”

“Yep. They should be here in a couple of hours. Eve volunteered to pick them up at the airport, and your mom and brother are coming in sometime this afternoon.”

“Yep.” Ash nodded. “I thought we’d go visit a couple of caterers and see what they offer. I know what you want with the tables and stuff. I’ll make sure to get quotes and business cards. Then you and I can go around and see the ones you’re interested in later.”

Dakota’s stomach rumbled and Ash laughed. “Come on, let’s go inside and I’ll make breakfast while you get changed.”

 

DK hung the swimsuit in the bathroom before stepping into the shower. Her eyes still stung a bit from the chlorine, and she knew she’d have to get better at mixing the chemicals, or hire someone to take care of the pool. Once out of the shower, she dressed in white jeans and a white tank top, and went to see how breakfast was progressing. 

Ash turned from the stove and grinned devilishly as she watched Dakota cross the room. “Have I told you that you are the sexiest woman in the world?”

“Not in those exact words for at least a day.” DK replied as Ash stepped in close and began to pepper her neck with kisses. “Easy there, Stud, you need to shut breakfast off if …”

Dakota’s stomach rumbled again and they both laughed.

“Apparently, you need to be fed before I ravish you.” Ash said with a final kiss, and turned back to the stove. “Hey, have you heard from Dr. Chris lately?”

“Let me go get the laptop and I’ll tell you.”

 

DK set the laptop on the island and sat on a stool. “Oh hey, he wrote!”

“Yeah?” Ash refilled Dakota’s cup. “Where is he?”

Dakota cleared her throat and read aloud,

“ Hello Dakota,

Greetings from Down Under! I trust this email finds you safe and enjoying the sunshine in Florida as well as your fiance's NWSL season. Six more months and you will be married. It's hard to believe. I do hope the wedding planning is going well and isn't too stressful. I further hope my gift was enough to make sure you and Ashlyn have the perfect day. If you need more, please let me know and I will get it to you with urgency.

The employment search continues as I have arrived for my interview with the University of Sydney. It's quite a different setting here than in the UK, although the accent is endearingly familiar. The interview at Heidelberg University went well, but I don't think I am quite a proper fit for their department. Very regimented and spiky and, as you might guess, I want nothing to do with that.

I have still yet to hear from anyone in the United States about vacancies or interviews. It's a little disheartening, but I am ever hopeful.

My literary agent is still looking for me to write another book. I have thought about a post-apocalyptic novel with some of you ladies as characters. What do you think?  

I have one more interview after this at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. While I am there, I am considering visiting Hope. I am hesitant to do so because I haven't heard very much from her in the last couple of months and I would hate to drop in to find out I am not entirely welcome. She is probably very busy with her football commitments, so I have tried to not take it personally.

I look forward to hearing from you. Tell your fiance and the rest of the "family" I said hello.

DRINK YOUR CLEANSE! 

With Love,

"Dr. Chris"

 

“Does he know Hope is here?”

“No, I don’t think I told him yet.” Dakota shook her head.

“Your reply will have to wait until after breakfast.” Ash said as she set a plate down, piled high with pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. “And a banana, strawberry, watermelon smoothie.”

“Mmm, I like your days off.”

“Only because you don’t have to make breakfast.” Ash laughed as she sat beside Dakota.

“True.” DK smiled. “So you meant what you said last night? White with red accents?”

“Absolutely.” Ash agreed before drinking some of her coffee. “And no shoes. Well, maybe after the sun goes down, but not before.”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?”

Dakota drank half her smoothie before answering. “Well...I have always wanted to camp in Alaska.”

Ash turned to her with raised eyebrows. “You want to camp in Alaska? Like, with grizzly bears and mosquitoes the size of crows, Alaska?”

“Well, maybe that would be better when it’s warmer and the flowers are out. Is there anywhere you want to go?” 

“Hawaii is nice, or California, there’s lots that would interest us both, maybe Arizona?  I’d suggest Utah, but I don’t think they’re big on same-gender relationships.” Ash stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Wait...I’ve got it...I always call you my nerd...it’s perfect…”

Dakota waited while Ash smiled.

“New Zealand! Land of Middle-Earth and Xena!”

DK was speechless.

“There’s tours for Hobbit fans, lots of trails that I know we’d both enjoy hiking, I’ve heard you can see Hobbiton, and there’s guided tours of the Weta-Cave! You know, Weta was the company that did all the special effects and stuff for Avatar and The Hobbit and the Lord of The Rings films…” Ash’s voice trailed away as she watched tears roll down Dakota’s face. “Babe?”

Dakota couldn’t speak at first, she was overwhelmed with the many emotions flooding through her. She wrapped her arms around her fiance, and held tight for a long minute. Finally she sniffled. “It’s perfect!”

Ash chuckled. “I thought you might like that. I’m sure we’ll find a lot to do that we’ll both enjoy.” 

“I can’t believe we’re going to New Zealand.” DK murmured as she took her seat again. “Sometime this week we should pick up the hunt for wedding rings again.”

“I know we haven’t found the right ones in any of the stores we’ve hit. Maybe we should just design them ourselves, that way we’ll get exactly what we want.” Ashlyn suggested.

“You draw much better than I can. Lets do that.” Dakota agreed.

  
  


After the breakfast dishes were rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher, Ash decided on a shower while Dakota wrote to Christian.

 

_ Chris, _

_ Down under! Watch out for the kangaroos, I hear they can be vicious if they’re feeling territorial. A little like a certain blonde I know...Speaking of my blonde, I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the Pride, but they’re third in the league so far. I haven’t met with the team yet, I’d feel a little like I was betraying my NWSL friends. _

 

_ Hope is actually here for the weekend, well, on her way. She and Pinoe came out with Ali to help us settle as many of the wedding plans as we could in one weekend. They should arrive shortly. Six months...crazy. I happen to know that Hope has composed far more letters and emails than what she’s actually sent. I think she’s afraid of seemingly pushing too hard too fast. But believe me when I tell you that she asks about you all the time. It’s not my story to tell, but I know she’s had a bit of a hard time with Jerramy too. She doesn’t smile much these days, and I have to say, I miss that infectious grin. Be patient with her. I happen to know for a fact that she’d love it if she looked up into the stands one day and saw you there. You should do that and see what happens. *smile* _

 

_ Speaking of the wedding, your little gift was HUGE! I highly doubt we’ll need more. We will never be able to thank you enough, but, thank you. We’ve agreed on white with red accents, so of course, I’m thinking about dyeing my tips red, as we discussed on the beach that day. Ash and I just decided to visit New Zealand for our honeymoon. I’ll share more as we plan it. A post-apocalyptic novel eh? Sounds like it could be interesting. Sure wouldn’t be boring! _

 

_ The University of Florida is looking for a professor to teach within the English department over in Gainesville. Fiction Writing is one course they’re looking to fill. But try this on for size:  _

_ This course will develop an understanding of utopia and its literary forms from the final years of the Cold War to the present. In a context of impending and ongoing crises—environmental disaster, economic disparity and unemployment, prolonged war, sexual inequality, racial discrimination—can we imagine viable utopian projects today, and, if so, how can literature help us do this? Approaching utopia from a range of issues, including economics, race, gender, sexuality, and art, students will be challenged to conceptualize what it means to imagine utopia today, not merely as an unattainable “good place,” but as an ongoing process in which we are all engaged. _

_ This course will examine several literary forms, including science fiction, critical dystopia, apocalyptic fiction, contemporary realism, and the K¨nstlerroman. This emphasis on forms will allow students to contextualize different utopian ideals and examine their historical developments up to the present day. We will also read a number of supplementary critical texts to contextualize and ground theoretically the idea of utopian process. _

_ Students will learn to read contextually and rhetorically, form persuasive arguments, and write critically about literature. Writing assignments will emphasize writing as process, culminating in an original argumentative paper. Assignments will include two close readings/analyses of primary texts (500 words each), a short mid-term paper (1,500 words), an argument skeleton (500 words) and a substantial final paper (3,000 words). Students will also be expected to participate in all class discussions and give one brief discussion-leading presentation on a primary text of their choosing. _

_ The course is Issues in American Literature & Culture: Utopia and Its Forms. Apparently the previous professor has suffered some sort of health emergency and the department is looking for someone to take it on next school year. I think you might find this a good fit. Tell me you’ll think about it? _

_ Your troublesome sister-in-spirit, _

_ Dakota _

  
  


She hit send, waited until she had confirmation and opened a fresh document.  

_ Artemia would not be as it is without some very important people who cannot be thanked enough. Ashlyn, of course. My heart, my life and my rock. Ali, a better second and a better friend than I deserve. Abby, my superfan, who has read, re-read and renamed this book at least three times. Pinoe, who keeps things fun and musical. Tammye, you are beyond amazing and I owe you more thanks than I express. Without you, I would not have met Ashlyn. Hope, who literally saved my life and gave me a lot to think about as I recovered. Nyssa, Eve, Miranda and all of my security team who kept me safe so Hope didn’t have to save me again. Dr. Shaw, who also saved my life. Twice. ‘Dr. Chris’, who saved my life in his own way. (Just so you know, Chris, I still hate shitinaglass)  _

_ If my life were less even one of you, I would not be the person I am today. I am grateful beyond words for each and every one of you. _

_ Ashlyn, my love...this is for you. _

  
  


The door chime rang through the house, prompting DK to save her work. She swung the door open, revealing Ali, Hope and a laughing Pinoe. “Well, look at that, the mighty writer herself answers the door!”

Dakota hugged each of them as they crossed the threshold. “I’m so glad you could all come on the same weekend.” 

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Hope shot Dakota a quick grin.

“Where’s your bags?”

“Right here, Miss Undomiel.” Eve came up the path carrying two bags in each hand.

“Eve, I could have…”

“Never mind, it’s all taken care of now.”

Dakota rolled her eyes at her head of security. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Undomiel.”

“She still won’t use your first name, hmm?” Ali asked. 

“Not if there’s someone else there besides Ash.” DK shook her head as she shut the front door.

“Where is the blonde dynamo, anyway?” Pinoe asked.

“In the shower. She should be out shortly.” 

********

Ali and Pinoe had decided to share a room, leaving Hope with some privacy. Once the three of them had unpacked, freshened up and changed, they all settled outside on the veranda. As Dakota was pouring iced tea, Ash came into the room with her damp hair in a ponytail and wearing board shorts and a t-shirt. “Here let me take that out.” 

DK put the pitcher down and turned. “Grab that tray beside the microwave, it’ll be easier for you. Is Whit coming as well?”

“She couldn’t get away. We’re going to meet up next week.” Ashlyn stepped into Dakota’s space and wrapped her arms around her. “I can’t wait to make you my wife.”

“The day will be here before we know it.” Dakota smiled. “As much as I love being in your arms, our guests are going to start to wonder if I’m going to leave them thirsty…”

As if on cue, Megan came into the kitchen. “DK, do you need any help...ah, never mind, you seem to have things well in hand.” She smiled and spun on her heel and went back outside.

Ashlyn chuckled. “No one has timing like Pinoe.”

“You go ahead and take that out.” Dakota suggested with a quick kiss. “I’ll make some sandwiches and bring those out.”

“Fair enough.”

 

Ash stepped out onto the veranda to a cacophony of cat-calls and whistles.

“Finally tore yourself away from your girlfriend?”

“Had to steal some kisses while your company was out here perishing of thirst, Harris?”

Ash blushed and passed out chilled glasses of iced tea. “Well, my girlfriend is pretty hot, can you blame me?”

“Have you two decided on where you’re going for your honeymoon yet, Ash?” Ali asked as she settled her sunglasses over her eyes.

“As a matter of fact, we did, just this morning. We’re going to New Zealand. I want DK to see all the places she’s only ever seen through the Lord of The Rings movie.”

“You said she was a nerd, right?” Hope asked. 

“Absolutely. She loves everything Marvel, Tolkien, Xena and Star Trek. She hasn’t been to New Zealand yet, so I thought it would be perfect.”

“I suppose it’s too early to ask if the two of you have decided on a color scheme yet? Some of the wedding party would like to know.” Pinoe shoved Ash’s chair a little with her foot.

“White with red accents, actually.” Ash shoved Pinoe’s chair in reply.

“You want the wedding party in white?”

“With red accents, yeah. We’re going to be beach-casual, no shoes until our feet get cold, but if you want ‘em, wear ‘em.”

“We can wear what we want, as long as it’s in white, with red accents?”

“Yep.”

Hope grinned and rose from her chair while her friends all chatted about what to wear. On bare feet, she slipped into the kitchen. “Need some help in here, Undomiel?”

 

Dakota turned toward the patio door. “That would be great, Hope, thanks. Can you grab all the meat out of the drawer in the fridge while I finish up the tuna?”

“Sure. So Harris just revealed the color scheme. You sure you want the wedding party in white too?”

“Absolutely. We’re throwing tradition on it’s ear. I know you like the chance to dress up, so dress up! Did she tell you that we’re going shoeless?”

Hope nodded as she set packets of sandwich cuts on the counter. “She did.”

“I’m going to get the tips of my hair dyed red, and Christian is going to get his mohawk tipped too I think. Have you heard from him lately?” Dakota asked as she chopped onion for the tuna.

“We’ve written back and forth a bit.” Hope nodded as she began to make sandwiches. “He told me I still scare him, can you believe that?”

“Yeah. You know you can be intimidating with that famous Solo death glare.” DK nudged her friend with her hip.

“He said he misses me.” Hope nearly whispered. “The scary thing is...I miss him too.”

Dakota set the bowl of tuna aside and faced her friend. “Why is that scary?”

“Undomiel, I don’t exactly have a great track record with stuff like this. It’s not like it is for you and Harris. I’ve read and re-read the book he gave me, and sometimes I think I can hear his voice reading it to me.”

“You know that’s a good thing, right?”

“There are days I write these long letters to him, pouring whatever’s in my head onto paper, and then I tear them up, afraid that if I send them, I’ll have over-shared...showed him more of me than he’s ready for.”

Dakota settled an arm around Hope’s shoulders. “Consider something for me...what have you got to lose by letting Christian know you a little better? Maybe if you let him see the person behind the tough cookie, he won’t be as afraid of you. He’s not the sort to judge.”

They continued to make sandwiches until the platter was full, working in silence as Hope pondered Dakota’s advice.

 

Just as they turned to take the platter and iced tea out to the veranda, Eve knocked and came in the side door. “Here’s the mail, Miss Undomiel.”

“Thanks, Eve.” Dakota tucked it under her arm.

Her head of security nodded and went back outside, and they continued on to the veranda.

“We’ve got sandwiches and fresh iced tea.” Hope said as she put the platter on the small table beside the pitcher.

“And the mail, I see.” Ash noted as she sat up. “Anything good?”

Dakota absent-mindedly walked over to her beach chair, standing in front of it as she leafed through the stack. “An ad for sports equipment on sale, and a flyer from the grocery store. Some of your fan mail that Jill sent along, this month’s issue of Writers Weekly, and a letter…”

Ash waited for DK to continue while she and Pinoe vied for the same tuna sandwich. Finally, she let her bleached friend snag it and she turned to her girlfriend. “DK?”

Dakota flipped to the last sheet to see who had written it and thumped onto her chair as her legs gave out beneath her.

“Dakota, you’re as pale as Pinoe’s hair...who’s it from?”

“It’s…” Dakota looked up at Ash in stunned disbelief. “It’s from my mother.”

 

**_to be continued!_ **

  
  
  



	2. Past and Future Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota gets a letter from the mother that has ignored her for fifteen years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I write this chapter, Montana has no Lieutenant Governor, the seat sits vacant. Those of you who may read this down the road, at some future date, Alexis Sullivan is no way written to reflect anyone, real, alive or dead. She is entirely my own flawed, repentant character.

_Dakota,_

_I pray that you will not throw this letter away as soon as you realize who has written it. I write today to explain and to ask for your forgiveness. I am well aware that it has been fifteen years since you and I have had any interaction, a fact that I am both ashamed of and greatly embarrassed by._

 

_I cannot apologize enough for the way we, I, handled your coming out fifteen years ago. To say I was overwhelmed and under-educated does little to explain the callous way I treated you._

_I am so, so very sorry, Dakota. My behaviour was ill-considered, rude and not at all the way a loving parent should behave. In fact, I have realized just how badly your father and I treated you while you were growing up. I confess, this is not a brand new revelation. I have been coming to grips with my poor behaviour as your mother for some time, but I have only recently gotten up enough nerve to write to you,_

_This is actually the fourth such letter. I have torn up, shredded and burned the others in fits of nervousness._

 

_You may have noticed that I am not apologizing for your father. He and I separated and divorced approximately a year after we behaved so boorishly toward you that last time. A year after we signed divorce papers, he was hit by a truck and killed. I moved to Montana shortly after, determined to make a new life for myself. I did just that, and have spent many years endeavoring to become a better person._

_One that I hope may ask your forgiveness now._

_But I don’t expect you to just take my word for it._

 

_I was stunned to find my daughter in the news one day, and as the media covered the remarkable circumstances, I got a glimpse of your life after we so harshly threw you out. I learned you had served time you should never have suffered through. I learned you had developed a sharp and much-remarked upon writing career, and experienced some difficulty with a stalker. I followed your career and your life through the media will great interest and sharp regret. I nearly went north when I learned you had been shot. The only thing that kept me here was my conviction you wanted nothing to do with me. But I was so very, very proud when I saw your girlfriend propose on bended knee. The love in her eyes moved me to tears, Dakota, and I knew then that no matter what I had thought to be true all those years ago, you had found the right person for you._

 

_I am so very glad you have found love. It is that love that emboldens me and prompts me to write, and actually send, this letter. I hope I can convince you to at least write to me, if not speak to me. I would like to explain further, and get to know the fine young woman my daughter became._

_Your mother,_

_Lt. Gov for the state of Montana,_

_Alexis Sullivan_

 

Ashlyn watched a myriad of emotions cross Dakota’s face as she read the letter silently. Then she crossed to her side and reached out her hand. “Come inside and talk to me.” She said quietly. Dakota took her hand and nodded.

“We’ll be back in a few minutes.” Ash said to their friends. “Our home is your home, you know that.”

The three reclining women all nodded and watched Ash guide DK into the house.

 

Ash led the way until she reached the master bedroom, she guided Dakota to the wicker loveseat, then shut the door. She sat beside her and took her free hand in her own. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Dakota took a long breath. “I haven’t spoken to or heard from either of them in fifteen years...and now she reaches out…”

“Why now?”

“She apologized.” Dakota passed Ashlyn the letter. “She’s trying to make amends.”

Ash read the letter silently, one hand still in Dakota’s. When she was done, she handed it back. “Do you want to see her? Talk to her? Write back?”

“I don’t know. I have so many more questions now. Did you see how she signed it? She’s the Lieutenant Governor of Montana, Ash. What the fuck is that? And what the hell is up with the new last name?”

“Only she has those answers, babe.” Ash let her thumb stroke the back of Dakota’s hand. “Sounds like this isn’t the first time she’s written to you. She’s nervous.”

“She should be.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Laugh in her face, tear the letter up into a million pieces, call her up and yell at her, call her up and demand answers, ignore her, slap her, hug her and make nice, introduce you to her...all of it and none of it. But I can’t do any of that. We have family, real family that loves us unconditionally sitting out on our veranda and more arriving later today. I don’t have time for this.” Dakota released Ash’s hand, let the letter flutter to the floor and paced the room. “We don’t have time for this. We have a wedding to plan. I have a book to write and I’m five chapters behind schedule!”

Ashlyn stood and scooped the letter off the floor before reaching out and snagging one of Dakota’s hands as she paced. “DK, you don’t have to deal with this alone. We’ve gotten through worse wrinkles than this, and we can get through _this_. Just tell me what you want to do and I’ll support you no matter what you need.”

Dakota had stopped pacing. “I need a hug.”

Ash opened her arms and gave her girlfriend a small smile. “I’m all yours.”

 

When they emerged from the bedroom, Ali was in the kitchen making more iced tea. She didn’t bother asking if DK was okay, she could see she wasn’t. She simply offered Dakota a hug, which was accepted with a not-quite-smile. As they stepped back, Hope came through the door.

“Kriegs, any water in the freezer?” 

Hope spotted Dakota and made a bee-line for her. She wrapped her arms around DK’s shoulders and rubbed one hand between her shoulder blades. “I have some experience with screwed-up families. If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“Thanks, Hope.”

Ali handed three bottles of water out of the freezer, picked up the iced tea pitcher and Dakota led the way back outside.

 

As she reclaimed her chair, the writer settled her sunglasses over her eyes. “So, Pinoe, how are the camps going?”

“Not bad. the kids seem to be having fun, as is my wonder-twin, so it’s all good. Sera and I are looking forward to your wedding. We decided on your gift just before I got on the plane, actually.”

“Pinoe, you don’t have to…” Ash began, but Megan cut her off.

“Hush, Harris. We want to, and there is no way you can take it back if it’s the wrong size or shape or color, so just let us have our fun. Relax, it’s nothing embarrassing.”

“Sounds mysterious.”

“Bwahahahaha.” Pinoe laughed dramatically.

Ash handed a bottle of water to Dakota, and one to Megan. “Anything specific you gals are tackling this afternoon while Hope and my brother drag me from caterer to caterer?”

“Someone has to make sure you consider all your choices, Harris.” Hope grinned as she poured iced tea for herself and Ali. “I know what kind of questions to ask, and your brother knows you better than anyone. We’ll make sure you don’t get talked into something you don’t want. So while you’re both here, tell us how you see the reception.”

 

“Three tables, end to end, under a length of white sheer cloth…”

“Like tulle?” Hope asked.

Dakota nodded. “Yes, with candle light hung from wires...white table linens, and red flower petals scattered down the length of a snow-white tablerunner.”

“I actually know of a place where you can buy red rose petals…” Megan reached for her phone.

“But we’ll need a few tables, because there’s going to be a lot of folks.” Ash nodded.

“Do you have the guest list yet?” Ali asked.

“That’s part of what we’ll be working on this afternoon at lunch. Ash and I made ours up, now I need to co-ordinate with Tammye to make sure we haven’t left out anyone in Ash’s family.”

“Do you have a budget for this shindig?” Megan asked from her chair.

“No.” Dakota and Ashlyn said in unison.

“But I was thinking about doing the decorating ourselves.” Dakota added. “I can show you later the idea I have for the candles we’d like suspended over the tables.”

“She showed me the other day, and I think it’ll be really nice. I was thinking about a couple of bonfires too, maybe one on each side of the tables, for ambiance, you know.”

“I had no idea you were such a romantic, Harris.”

“She’s a charmer, my Ash.”

“You guys are so sappy.” Hope said as she closed her eyes behind her sunglasses and leaned her head back. The fact that she was smiling was lost on no one.

 

****

When they had all gotten quite warm, Ash, Ali, Pinoe and Hope jumped in the pool and Dakota slipped into the office to check her email. She was pleased to see Christian had emailed again

 

_Dakota,_

_The interview went very well, the University has much to offer. The department is fairly laid back and most of the faculty are younger, unlike at my previous employer._

_I looked into the teaching position at U of Florida and have submitted my CV. Hopefully, my time at Oxford will help me in getting an interview. I am trying really hard to not use my writing career to leverage a position. I have kept my identity quiet for the most part, and I would like to keep it that way. The position itself sounds like a good challenge and would keep me sharp. If all else fails, I could always start teaching engineering classes. Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that, though. Doing consulting work is as close as I ever want to be to that field again._

_I checked the schedule and it seems that while I am in Vancouver, Seattle does have a match at home against Washington. At least if Hope is uninterested in seeing me, Ali and Nyssa will be there for a short time and I can catch up with them. It’s partially my fault that Hope and I haven’t corresponded more, I have written her a ton of things, but haven’t sent them. I know she has to be going through hell with whatever is happening with Jerramy. I don’t feel like I should poke my nose in where it doesn’t belong. The last thing she needs is pressure from me._

_6 months will pass before you know it. Alright, back on a plane to London. Talk to you soon, my friend. Give Ashlyn my regards._

_C_

 

Dakota smiled and shook her head. Christian and Hope were so busy trying to tiptoe around each other, they were missing obvious signs. She would have to help them along a little. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text.

_Almost there!_

_T_

 

Dakota closed the laptop and went into the bedroom to slip one of Ash’s white button down shirts on. By the time she made it to the front door, Tammye was just raising her finger to the doorbell.

Dakota opened the door with a smile. “Did you mean almost at the house or almost at the door?” She laughed.

Tammye returned her smile and hugged her. Chris followed close behind and did the same.

“Come on in, Ash and the others are in the pool.” Dakota led the way through the house and slid the patio door open.

“Ash, Chris and your mom are here.”

Released from her leash, the dog ran through the house, out onto the veranda and leaped into the pool, landing between Hope and Megan. They both let out yelps of surprise and the dog barked happily as she paddled toward Ash.

“And the dog…” DK chuckled.

Chris emptied his pockets, and hugged Dakota with a strong one-armed hug. “Welcome to the insanity that is our family.” Then he took off running toward the least occupied end of the pool shouting, “Cannonball!”

****

Dakota kept an eye on the time, and as everyone else was having fun in and around the pool, she slipped away to the bedroom. She sent Eve a text to get the cars ready, neither she nor Ash would be without security, and she started getting ready for lunch. When she re-joined the others, Ashlyn let out a wolf whistle. Dakota had chosen a dark red button down shirt tucked into black skinny jeans, black boots, and a black blazer with one of Ash’s dark red pocket squares peeking out from the breast pocket.

“Damn, Undomiel, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this dressed up!” Hope exclaimed.

“Oh, just you wait, Solo!” DK laughed.

Ali and Megan were taking pictures while Ash stood nearby, beaming at her fiance with love.

“All right, all right...it’s just clothes. I see I was the last one to finish dressing. Are we all set for lunch?” Dakota waved off all the attention with an embarrassed smile.

“Ready when you are!” Tammye nodded.

Dakota picked up her laptop case, slid the wedding binder into it and felt Ash place a hand at the small of her back. 

“Let me walk you to the car?”

“I’d like that.”

They walked a little slower than the others, enjoying the last few moments together before they each went off to tackle their afternoons.

“You look really sharp, babe.”

“Thanks. If we didn’t have a house full of people, you wouldn’t be getting out that door, you know.” Dakota reached down and slid her hand in one of Ash’s back pockets. Ash had worn black jeans as well, and her black Doc Martins, but with a white button down shirt.

Just before they reached the door, Ash stopped and pulled DK close for a searing kiss. 

When Pinoe and Chris started whistling and shouting from the vehicles, Ash pulled back with a grin. But she leaned in close to Dakota’s ear and said quietly,

“Later, we can have fun taking all these clothes off each other...maybe go skinny dipping after everyone else has gone to bed?”

“You are such a tease.”

Ash flashed Dakota a dimple, locked the front door behind them and quipped, “Yeah, and you love it.”

 

**_to be continued!_ **


	3. Planning & Juggling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some details get settled while others feel insurmountable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Falling in love was the easy part; planning a wedding - yikes!  
> Niecy Nash

Tammye, Pinoe, Ali and Dakota settled around a large table, and gave their drink orders to the wait staff. “It’s hard to believe there’s only six months to go.” Dakota observed.

“Once it’s all over, and the two of you are on your honeymoon, you’ll be glad it’s over.” Tammye replied.

“I don’t know...for all the craziness, we’re both having fun planning. I know Ash looks removed from a lot of it, but she really does have the heart of a romantic. I brought our guest list. Ash was worried we might forget someone.” DK passed out copies of the guest list. “If there’s anyone any of you can think of that isn’t on the list, let me know.”

As their drinks arrived, they all studied the proposed guest list. Dakota had seen it so often, that although her gaze was firmly fixed on the sea of names on the sheet, her mind drifted to her mother’s letter. Fifteen years was a long time. So much had happened. To think her father was dead…She was not surprised to feel nothing when she thought of him. But her mother…

“Dakota?”

“Hmm? I’m sorry…”

“What would you like for lunch?” Tammye asked. “Are you feeling poorly?”

“No, no, I’m fine. Caesar salad, please.” Dakota replied.

 

Once the waiter had collected their orders, Dakota turned to her future mother-in-law. “I was distracted, I’m sorry.”

“Is everything all right?”

Dakota met Ali’s eyes across the table, and inadvertently, the writer’s left eyebrow twitched.

Ali nodded slightly and Tammye chuckled. “Have any of you noticed that you all seem to communicate almost telepathically?”

“They’re all pod people, I’m the normal one.” Megan smiled.

Tammye laughed. “Oh, Megan, you’re so sweetly mistaken! You do it as much as the others, you just don’t realize it. Every time I have the chance to witness you in the company of my daughter, I hear the two of you finishing each other’s sentences, you both match each other’s paces, sometimes it’s as if you’re both peas from the same pod!” Tammye patted Pinoe’s hand and chuckled.

“I’m sure it’s all the time we spend together.” Ali said.

“I’m sure it is.” Tammye agreed.

 

“Tammye,” Dakota began. “If you had been estranged from Ashlyn, and you wanted to apologize, or make amends…”

“I would move heaven and earth itself to do right by my daughter while I still could. It took us a long time to get to where we are today. There were a lot of angry words, a lot of talking and a lot of soul-searching to get beyond our past.” Tammye replied quietly. “Where is this coming from, Dakota?”

“I got a letter from my mother this morning.”

“I see.”

“She’s apologized for how she treated me when I came out and what she calls her poor treatment of me as I grew up. She wants to talk. I think she wants to get to know me.”

“Wow…” Megan said before taking a drink of her water.

“She’s Lieutenant Governor of Montana, apparently.”

Megan inhaled a bit of her water as she gasped and tried to drink in the same instant. “The Lieutenant Governor of Montana is your _mother_??” she said between coughs.

“So it would seem.” Dakota nodded.

 

Once Pinoe had regained control of her lungs, she pulled her phone out and initiated an internet search.

“That must have been quite a shock.” Tammye said with a raised blonde eyebrow.

“It was.” Dakota picked up her glass of lemon water, but Ali reached over and took it from her, inclining her head toward Pinoe.

Megan slid her phone on the table until it settled in front of her engaged friend, and lightly laid her hand on her shoulder. 

For the first time in fifteen years, the writer saw her mother as a stranger might.

The image was small, but her hair was the same dark chestnut as Dakota’s with waves of grey at the temples. Her eyes were framed by slight wrinkles at the corners, but they were the same steel grey-blue as her daughter’s.  Dakota was flooded by a rush of yearning and loss all at once, and she sat heavily against the back of her chair. She tried to speak, to say anything that would break the hold of the crushing ache for lost time, but no words came. It was a long minute before Dakota could do more than sip at her water.

 

Pinoe passed the phone to Ali, who passed it to Tammye. When Megan got it back, she studied the image with her hand still on Dakota’s shoulder. “She looks sad, DK.”

Dakota nodded, but any reply she might have made was interrupted by the arrival of their food. She picked at her salad, trying to make sense of her feelings, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of her mind that clamored for a drink of something stronger than lemon water. She sighed, set her fork down, picked her glass up and drained it. As she took a breath in to call the waiter over, Ali spoke softly.

“Don’t.”

Tammye’s gaze flicked across the table to Ali. 

“You’ve worked really hard, DK. Don’t toss it all away now. We can order coffee.” Ali implored.

Dakota returned her attention to her salad and nodded wordlessly.

Tammye patted her soon-to-be daughter-in-law on the back and returned her focus to her lunch.

 

Once the plates had been cleared away, Dakota took a deep breath, shook off her sadness and craving and asked, “So, anyone we missed from the proposed guest list?”

“You’re inviting the whole National Team, as well as the Washington Spirit?” Pinoe clarified.

“And Jill, of course.” Dakota nodded. “Tammye, did we miss anyone from the family?”

“I think you’ve included everyone that means anything to Ashlyn.” Tammye confirmed. “If everyone brings a plus one, you could be looking at two hundred people, Dakota.”

DK nodded as she sipped from her coffee. Then she said, “We’ve ordered two hundred and fifty invitations, matching save-the-date cards and RSVP cards. We couldn’t really send anything out until we had confirmed the guest list though.” She pulled an invitation from her laptop case and passed it to Tammye first. 

She smiled appreciatively. “It’s very nice.”

“Ashlyn picked it out, she said it spoke to her.” Dakota smiled warmly. 

“How did you approach the traditional format of parents inviting guests to the wedding of their children?” Ali asked as the invitation was passed to her.

“We’ve re-written it so that Ash and I are the ones inviting our friends and family. I’ve asked Christian to escort me to Ash’s side under the arbour. That won’t change, regardless of whatever may or may not happen with my mother.”

Anything further she might have said was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. A swipe of her screen revealed a photo of a white wedding cake, draped with scrolled frosting and red roses between each layer. The caption read,

_I saw this and thought of you. Thoughts?_

_Ash_

Dakota passed the phone around to each of her table-mates and was pleased that they all had the same reaction she had. When she got the phone back, she replied,

_That is stunning! Remember, if everyone we invite comes and brings a +1, that’s approx 200 people._

_DK_

 

“Speaking of Ash,” Dakota said as she put her phone away. “I decided on the guest book. I’m going to order an un-labelled, white surfboard and have everyone who comes to the wedding sign it. After the honeymoon, I’ll hang it in the den or maybe the bedroom. Somewhere she can see it and be reminded of what will hopefully be a romantic night.”

Tammye smiled. “She’ll love that.”

“Sounds much more fun and interesting than a typical guest book.” Ali nodded. “Very creative, DK!”

Pinoe merely held up a hand for a high five.

 

The bill came to the table, and as the other three were fussing over it and trying to decide their portions of the bill, Dakota quietly slipped a hundred dollar bill into the folder. She gathered up all the wedding related paperwork and stood. Three sets of eyes lifted to hers. “It’s taken care of, ladies. My treat.”  As the others began a flurry of protests, a young woman approached the table asking for autographs. Ali and Pinoe agreed, signed a tourism guide she had and even took a couple of photos with her before she thanked them and left. They all piled into the car, and after buckling in, Dakota let loose a long sigh and leaned her head against the window.

“Tired?” Ali asked quietly.

“It was an early morning.”

“What I said earlier...I didn’t mean it to sound like it did…”

“Would you be apologizing to your sister for that?”

“No, but…”

“Then hush.” DK smiled.

Pinoe had been studying her phone, and she passed it across the SUV. “Is this the kind of arbor you and Ash want?”

Dakota studied the structure that was made of bamboo and grapevine and wrapped in tulle. “Exactly.”

“With rose petals scattered as a romantic pathway and white chairs?”

“Have you been peeking into the wedding binder, Pinoe?”

“Maybe once or twice.” The blonde smiled. “How else was I going to know what I could help with? I’d be honored if you would let me take care of the arbor and the flowers.”

DK smiled warmly. “Thank you, Megan. That’s sweet of you.”

Pinoe grinned across the car. “Don’t tell the rest of the team. Otherwise they’ll all expect this sort of thing when they get married.”

Dakota chuckled and crossed her heart before turning her attention out the window.

 

She hadn’t intended to drop off, didn’t remember closing her eyes, but as Ali was gently shaking her leg, Dakota realized they were pulling into the driveway of the house. “Oh damn, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep…”

“It’s okay, you obviously haven’t been sleeping as much as your body needed. We dropped Tammye off at her hotel. She said she would call the house later.”

PInoe, now in the front seat, released her seat belt and pivoted to grin at Dakota. “Look at it this way...at least you didn’t snore!”

DK turned to face Ali as the brunette was opening her own door. “Do I snore?”

Ali only smiled and got out of the SUV.

“That’s not an answer, Krieger!” Dakota called out. 

 

Inside the house, Dakota slipped her jacket off and hung it carefully. She was in the kitchen leaning against the counter drinking ice water when Ali came in. She had changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and definitely looked more comfortable. “You still look tired, DK. Why don’t you go take a nap? Pinoe and I will put our heads together and make a list of the things that still need to be done that we can help with.”

“There’s still too many things to iron out.” Dakota shook her head.

Ali stood in front of her. “You’re trying to burn the candle at both ends, as my mother would say. My guess is that you’re trying to write at night, plan the wedding during the day, spend time with Ash when she’s home...stop me when I’m wrong.”

Dakota sighed, but said nothing.

“That’s what I thought. Now, historically, those closest to the bride are supposed to help her, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And if you had a sister, which we have already established I am, albeit in spirit, it would be her job to take over where she could and keep you from getting overwhelmed, right?”

“Right.”

Ali jerked her head in the direction of the bedrooms. “Then go rest.”

****

When Ash, and Hope came in an hour and a half later, they found Ali and Pino with the wedding binder open, and making lists.

Megan was on her phone wrapping up a conversation with a florist.

“Hey.” Ali greeted her friends. “Where’s Chris?”

“He dropped us off and went back to the hotel. We’ll probably hear from them later.” Ash looked over Ali’s shoulder at the wedding binder. “Where’s Dakota?”

“She was really tired, so I nagged her into taking a nap. I told her Pinoe and I could handle things for a while.”

Hope sat down at the table just as Megan hung up. “Were you able to make any headway?”

“I got the florist lined up, and it’s a lesbian-friendly, small-scale company! They’re thrilled to be considered, but you and DK have to meet with them soon, Ash.” Pinoe held up her hand and got three high-fives in return.

“Abby has agreed to be your officiant, right?” Hope asked Ash. “She’s legal and all that?”

Ash nodded. “Yep. And your friend Steph is coming here tomorrow to meet with us about the engagement and wedding photos, so that’s another thing off the list.”

Ali stroked through one of the items on a long list in front of her. “Were you able to find a caterer?”

Hope made a face. “We thought we had. But once the woman asked Ash who she was marrying, the visit turned sour.” She shook her head slowly. “Hard to believe there are still people with their heads stuck up their asses in this day and age. Love is love. Who cares what it looks like?”

Ash nodded and reached out to clasp her fellow ‘keeper’s shoulder as she passed by on her way to the bedroom.

 

The curtains were pulled over the window, but there was still enough light that she could see Dakota had pulled a light blanket over herself. Wanting her to be as well rested as possible, Ash tiptoed back out of the room and back to the kitchen.

“Hey Ash, have you looked up Dakota’s mother yet?”

“No, why?”

Megan pushed her phone across the table as Ash took a seat. 

“Holy crap...it’s Dakota, only in the future.”

“She had the same expression on her face when she saw this photo too. I’m guessing DK was never curious?”

“We’ve rarely talked about her family. I just assumed she didn’t want to bring up their rejection. This is the first time I’ve seen what her mother looks like. I guess she just assumed her family still hated her, but that letter she got this morning was written by a woman looking for forgiveness.”

“I can’t even imagine…” Ali said.

“I can.” Hope replied quietly.

“I’ve been really lucky, my family is all so close-knit, you know? I can’t picture any of them treating me like her parents did.” Megan said.

 

“How’s she doing staying away from whiskey?” Hope asked.

“It’s been hard on her.” Ash admitted. “She gets up and goes out to the gym behind the garage in the middle of the night sometimes. Those are the nights that are the hardest for her, I think.”

“She still drinking that shitinaglass that Dr. Chris suggested?”

“Yeah, and she still hates it. But let me tell you, if anything will make her slip, it’ll be this thing with her mother.”

****

When Dakota got up, the first thing she realized was that she could smell pizza. Then she realized how hungry she was. She found her friends at the table, three boxes on the island. Ash spotted her first and stood quickly.

“Hey there, pretty lady. You hungry?” Ash kissed her gently.

DK nodded and yawned.

“Sit down, I’ll get a plate together for you.”

“Thanks.” She sat beside Hope. “Any luck this afternoon?”

“Sure you don’t want to wake up a bit before we jump into it?” Ash put two slices of veggie-laden pizza on a plate and pulled a bottle of cranberry juice from the fridge.

Dakota yawned again. “Mmff. Maybe.” She was still so tired that she didn’t notice the others watching her. Gradually though, she became aware that the silence was getting longer. When she looked at them though, one by one, the only one who didn’t look uncomfortable was Hope.

“Spill it.”

“Spill what?” Ashlyn tried to deflect.

Dakota turned to Hope. “I know something’s going on, and I know you aren’t going to bullshit me or try to protect my feelings like I’m made of glass.”

Hope looked up. “Sorry, Harris, but you know she’s like a dog with a bone.”

Ash nodded and Hope leaned across the table to pull an envelope from under Ashlyn’s plate. 

 

“This was delivered by courier while you were resting.”

Dakota could plainly see the return address was from Montana, which meant only one thing.

This was another letter from her mother.

She slid her finger under the flap as she briefly considered what emotion she felt more strongly; residual anger or sadness.

This letter was much shorter, more of a note really.

 

_Dakota,_

_It seems once I found enough courage to write to you once, I had to do so again._

_I cannot apologize enough for how we treated you as you grew up. I often wonder how we affected your choices as an adult. I fear we did you a horrible injustice. We did not love you enough, something I am deeply ashamed of now._ _Are you reading this wondering why I have finally reached out after all these years? Many long, sleepless nights have been spent questioning if you would ever find it in your heart to forgive me. Just as many idle moments have been spent daydreaming about the moment I would be able to see you face-to-face. I reflect often on what kind of person you became._

_When the media reports on your relationship with Ashlyn, they talk about your love story with the same awe once reserved for the Kennedys or British Royalty. I hope you will one day grant me the privilege of meeting her. Like much of the country I watched the Women’s World Cup, but I could never have imagined that my daughter would one day be romantically attached to one of our national players. I like to think that you managed to learn how to be a kind, considerate and loving partner, despite the example your father and I provided._

_I hope you can find it in your heart to, at the very least, provide me with a chance to apologize to you in person. I am prepared to get down on my knees and beg for your forgiveness if that’s what you need. Please allow me the chance to make amends, Dakota._

_Your mother._

 

Contact information followed.

 

Wordlessly, DK rose from the table, retrieved the first letter and put it on top of the newest one. She came back to the table and passed the sheets to Hope, saying simply, “We’re all family here, there’s no secrets. You may as well all read the letters, it’ll save me from trying to describe what she wants.” Then she got more pizza.

When the three of them had read both the letters, and Ash had read the newest, she turned to Dakota. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What does your gut tell you to do?”

“Meet with her.”

“Then do that. If you want me there for support, I’ll go with you.”

Dakota nodded and studied her juice while she considered her options.

****

As they all sat in silence, Hope pulled out her phone and replied to Christian’s email that she had told DK about earlier.

_Christian,_

_I still terrify you? One day I hope that changes. I really don't want people to be afraid of me...not really. Sometimes that reputation becomes a weight, and very tiring._

_Is it selfish of me to hope you find a position in the States? Perhaps, but there it is. I miss you, you know. Your confession didn't bother me in the slightest. I know we all have things in our past. As Harris would say, we all have our bags of demons. You and I constantly struggle to be seen as more than our pasts, I think. I understand you better than you think, on some level anyway._

_My NWSL season has been pretty good. The Reign is in the top three so far, a fact which I'm proud of. It's my standing on the National team that worries me. Every camp, every year, I worry that those who make the cap decisions will look at how long I've been in the game, and my life outside of soccer, and will decide that maybe this is the year to give Harris the net. I have officially separated from Jerramy. He didn't take it well. In short, I've been a little distracted, and I apologize. Every day, I've thought about writing to you, but I allowed all the daily stuff to get in the way. I've not been a very good friend to you. I'm sorry._

_I'm sure that the right position will appear at the right time for you._

_I'll write again soon._

_Hope_

 

Just as she hit send, Dakota got up from the table. “I’m going to do it. I’m going to meet with my mother. I’m going to send her an email now...before I change my mind.”

Ashlyn rose and came around the table to wrap her arms around her. “You can do this. I have complete confidence in you.”

Dakota let herself be engulfed in Ashlyn’s safe embrace and blew out a long breath. 

****

Twenty minutes later, the Lieutenant Governor of Montana got an email.

_Mother,_

_I am at war with myself. One moment I want to burn your letters, but in the next heartbeat I want very much to see you again. I have many questions, but they are better asked in person._

_Perhaps we could do lunch?_

_Let me know,_

_Dakota_

 

**_To Be Continued!_ **


	4. Heartache, Surprise and Bitchiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota finally meets with her Mother, and Hope shocks her friends with an announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it’s where we find the deepest heartache.”  
> Iyanla Vazant

Days after she had received the second note, the time had finally come for Dakota to see her mother. She had chosen a white button down shirt tucked into white slacks, a white blazer and coffee colored boots. At the last minute Ash had carefully folded and tucked a snowy satin pocket square into the breast pocket. “I like the look.” She’d said with a shrug. Ashlyn had chosen similarly, she was dressed in all black, but she too sported a white pocket square. Now they stood outside the restaurant, with Eve waiting on Dakota’s signal to open the door.

“You both look very sharp.” Eve said with a reassuring smile. “Impress the hell out of her, Miss Undomiel. You hold your head high and show her the strong, confident woman I know.”

“Thanks, Eve.” Dakota grinned and nodded toward the door.

 

Ashlyn gave their names to the maitre‘d and they were shown to a table at the back, tucked away from prying eyes and cell phones connected to the internet.

With Ashlyn’s hand on the small of her back for support, Dakota looked fully into her mother’s eyes.

She thought she was ready.

But she was not prepared for the tears that sprang to her mother’s eyes as they gazed at one another.

She was not prepared for the gut-punch that accompanied the realization that this was very much like looking into a mirror years in the future.

She was not prepared for her own burning hot tears that threatened to betray the steely calm she was trying so hard to project.

As her mother stood, Eve stepped forward and whispered in Dakota’s ear that she would be but a short distance away.

Dakota nodded and slipped her right hand into Ashlyn’s left as she spoke. “Mother, this is my fiance, Ashlyn Harris.”

Alexis Sullivan reached out and shook Ash’s hand solemnly. “Yes, of course. You’re quite brilliant on the field. I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

 

Alexis reached out and took her daughter’s free hand and held it as her eyes filled with tears. “Dakota...Let me look at you...You’ve grown into a beautiful woman.”

As she stood straight under her mother’s gaze for a few moments, Dakota was very glad she’d chosen the clothes she had. “Let’s sit down, shall we?”

“Forgive me…” Alexis smiled and a young man behind her held her chair. “Thank you Peter, I’ll be fine now.”

Ash held out Dakota’s chair, drawing a small, warm smile from Alexis.

“Your aide, I assume?” Dakota said as Ashlyn ran her fingertips along her back.

“Yes. The other young woman was…?”

“Dakota’s bodyguard.” Ashlyn replied as she seated herself beside her girlfriend.

“Since the shooting, security has been a concern.” DK added.

“I can’t begin to understand, but I’m glad you’re safe.” Alexis couldn’t seem to take her eyes off her daughter, even as coffee was being poured. When it was just the three of them again, she said, “I hardly know where to begin...Tell me, how did the two of you meet?”

 

“Ashlyn’s mother was a work associate of mine, a source for some of my early articles. She introduced us.”

“It was one of the best days of my life, so far.” Ash added with a smile for Dakota. “We had coffee together, and the rest is history, I suppose.”

“What do you do when you aren’t being a goalkeeper, Ashlyn?”

“I surf, skateboard and do some work for a suicide prevention organization called To Write Love On Her Arms. I spend a great deal of time training and as much time as I can with Dakota.” Ash put her arm on the back of DK’s chair, but her hand was on her shoulder.

 

“You use the last name Sullivan now?” Dakota asked.

“Yes. A short time after I moved to Montana, I met a sweet man.” Alexis smiled and looked down at the tablecloth. “He eventually convinced me to allow him one date, promising me that if I had a horrible time, he would never bother me again. We dated for just under two years before he asked me to marry him. Dennis Sullivan changed my life. He changed  _ me _ , Dakota.” Alexis raised her eyes and met her daughter’s steady gaze. “It was my time with him that made me finally understand what an injustice I had done to you.”

 

“I wasn’t even aware you had divorced. Or moved. Or remarried.”

“It’s my fault for not reaching out to you sooner. As I said in my first letter, I was unsure how you would receive my gesture.”

Dakota sat back in her chair and straightened her right arm, resting it on the armrest. She studied her mother silently for a minute, wanting to see how she would react.

“I know you must have many questions…” Alexis couldn’t maintain eye contact for very long.

“Oh, I certainly do. Probably more than you expect. But I’m not going to barrage you with them all here and now. I do have some social sensibilities, Mother.”

****

Ashlyn saw the Lieutenant Governor wince, as if the remark had been a physical slap.

“What would you like to know?” she picked her coffee up with a steady hand.

“Tell me you married someone better than Father.”

Alexis hadn’t expected that question. “Well, it’s not polite to speak ill of the dead…”

“He’s not the threat now that he was then, Mother.”

Dakota’s mother sipped from her coffee before answering. “Dennis was everything your father was not. Warm, caring, funny and sensitive to those around him.”

“Was?”

“He’s passed now, I’m afraid. An aggressive form of cancer took him from me six short months after he’d been diagnosed.”

“I apologize. My condolences.” Dakota inclined her head slightly.

****

Alexis smiled. “I am a better person because of him.” Then she canted her head a fraction. “May I make an observation?”

“Yes.”

“I see a refined young woman sitting across from me, but I remember with painful clarity how you were raised. I did not expect someone so mature and well-cultured.”

“What did you expect, Mother? A rough-around-the-edges ex-con?” Dakota replied quietly as her left eyebrow arched. “Make no mistake, I am an ex-con. But because of who I am engaged to, my every movement in public is scrutinized, and often recorded. Ashlyn’s reputation is important to me. I remember the woman you used to be, and she is not here today. She would not have become President of the PTA, much less Lieutenant Governor of Montana. Dennis must have been a hell of a game-changer.”

 

“Fair enough. But your Father’s brother, Gene, bears the responsibility for introducing me to politics. Once I began to make a few changes in my life, he started reaching out to me again, introducing me around to specific people. Before I even recognized it, I was taking a larger and larger role in politics.”

“And how did he manage that?”

“Your uncle is quite high in the NSA, dear. He assures me that you have a successful career now.”

“The NSA, as in the National Security Agency?” Dakota was stunned. 

“Yes.” Alexis watched her daughter’s face as she processed the information. Clearly, she had not kept up with family. It was understandable after the way she’d been treated. “As I understand it, your book is number one among anthologies now.”

“Is it? I’m pleased.”

“I understand you’re working on a novel?”

Dakota nodded. “I am.”

“That must be a full time job.”

“If you have questions, Mother, just ask them. Don’t beat around the bush.”

 

Alexis licked her lips, suddenly nervous. This was not the daughter she had expected. The woman who sat across from her seemed confident, assertive and well put together. “There’s no polite way to put this...” She shifted in her chair, sipped at her coffee again and then finally decided to just take the plunge. “What happened...after we...threw you out?”

 

****

Ashlyn knew her girlfriend pretty well, and for all that Dakota hadn’t moved a finger, Ash knew the question hit home. She felt Dakota’s spine stiffen under her hand, felt her breath catch ever so slightly, and without changing her expression, Ash began to rub small circles on the tense back under her fingers. As Dakota picked up her coffee, Ashlyn made a mental note to never play poker with her fiancé. Her game face was just too good.

“Well, let’s see.” Dakota began to reply as she settled her cup on the table. “I tried living on the streets for a while. I went to a homeless shelter, got enough of my life straightened out that I was able to get a job while I stayed there. Got a place, made some friends. Was arrested with said friends when one of them committed a crime.” She settled her hands on either side of her cup, flat on the table. Ash could feel her vibrating under her hand. “Served time fighting to stay alive. Finally got out. Realized I could scratch out an existence writing. Met Ashlyn, realized someone  _ did _ love me, despite all my flaws. Had a  pretty intense time with a stalker. Moved in with Ashlyn in D.C. Picked up a manager, as well as a publisher and got a pretty good deal. Went to Toronto for a writers conference, and to watch Ash play. Never got there.” Dakota drew a breath. “Got shot. Thought I was saving a friend. Turned out I was the target.”

“I remember reading that Miss Solo saved your life.”

 

Ashlyn took Dakota’s right hand, intertwined their fingers and left their clasped hands on the table. Sensibilities be damned, Ash needed the comfort of feeling their connection.

To her credit, Alexis never even blinked.

“I died in surgery. Twice...”

_ That _ drew a reaction from the Lieutenant Governor. Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

Ashlyn had to look down while she wrestled with her own emotions. Even though she’d been there, it was harder to hear it summarized this way.

****

“Recovery was interesting. I met the National Women’s Soccer Team, picked up a security detail, and found out there was a bounty put out on me. Ashlyn and I moved down to Florida. Found out who put the bounty on my head when I stared down the barrel of a gun to save a friend. And I’ve been pretty much just planning a wedding and writing my book since then.” DK picked up her cup with the slightest of trembles and drained it.

“I had no idea, I’m so very sorry.” Her mother reached out and laid her hand over her daughter’s.

Dakota shrugged, feeling a little raw.

“I think if I had to go through all that, I might be a raging alcoholic. How can you sit there so calmly?” Alexis said quietly.

“I would give my left thumb for a drink right now. But that’s not an option for me. There was a price to pay for surviving all that. Alcohol was that price.” Dakota replied before she turned her head to look fully at the woman she loved. “I owe my life to some pretty amazing people, Ashlyn among them.”

“Then it seems I owe you thanks as well, Miss Harris.” Alexis was intrigued by her daughter’s answer but chose not to address it.

“Call me Ashlyn, please. I’d do whatever was necessary to keep Dakota by my side.” She smiled at her fiancé warmly.

 

Alexis motioned for more coffee before leaning back in her chair. “I feel I should tell you that I bought a copy of your book, Dakota. It’s very well written. Sharp, tight and emotionally intense. Would I be correct in surmising that you wrote those while in prison?”

“Many of them, yes.”

“I can easily understand why it is so popular. Would either of you like to order lunch now?”

“I’m not sure...”

“You should eat, DK.” Ash said softly. “Even just a salad. You need something besides coffee.”

“Please, Dakota.” Her mother implored softly. “As I understand it, they make a lovely spinach salad with mushrooms, almonds and apple pieces.”

Dakota studied Ash’s expression, full of concern. Finally, she relented with a sigh. “That sounds very good, actually.” Then she faced her mother again with a small smile. “You had me at spinach.”

Alexis felt her mood lighten at the small victory. It wasn’t much, but at least they were talking. “Do either of you like tea?”

“DK has been getting me to try different ones,” Ashlyn answered. “But my first choice is still coffee.”

 

Alexis looked between her daughter and her fiancé leaning slightly toward each other, hands still held, now in Dakota’s lap. “I’ve heard you refer to her by her first two initials twice now, may I ask...?”

Ashlyn smiled warmly at her companion. “While we were still dating, she would call me Harris sometimes, when she was being silly. I called her DK one day, and it kind of stuck.”

The Lieutenant Governor smiled. “It’s easy to see that the two of you care deeply for one another.” 

“We do.” Dakota replied as she got momentarily lost in Ashlyn’s green eyes.

“I think I may order one of those salads as well.” Her mother declared after a moment. “Ashlyn?”

“Sounds good to me.” Ash nodded as Alexis motioned the waiter over. “Three of your spinach salads please, a pot of orange blossom tea and an urn of coffee as well.”

 

Once it was just the three of them again, Dakota spoke up. “I don’t remember Gene. Did we see him often? Did I call him Uncle?”

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember him. He didn’t come around much, mostly on the holidays. He didn’t get along with his brother very well. When you were first born, he set up a trust fund for you. He had no children of his own then, so he was quite enthusiastic about being able to do it. Your father though...” Alexis shifted slightly in her chair and dropped her gaze to the tabletop. “Your father was furious. He wanted the trust fund dissolved, but your uncle insisted it could not be done. They fought about it nearly every time they saw one another. When you were still young, Gene stopped coming to the house. He and I kept in touch by letters at first, he always asked about you. When you...when your father threw you out, Gene was furious with me. He refused to speak to me for a very long time. As I’ve said, once I began to make serious changes in my life, he reached out to me once more. He called me after Ashlyn’s proposal was shown on television. He wanted to know if I had seen it, if that was really you. He peppered me with questions and encouraged me to reach out and make amends.”

Conversation stopped as the waiter brought the pot of tea and the urn of coffee, and Dakota took the opportunity to excuse herself from the table.

****

As soon as her girlfriend was out of hearing range, Ashlyn interjected.

“Excuse me, did you say there was a trust fund set up for Dakota?”

“I did.” Alexis dropped her gaze once more. 

“And yet you let her be thrown out on the street when she was still a teenager, and all those years she struggled...” Ash had to stop and take a breath before she said something she would regret. “Do you realize that your timing looks very convenient from where I sit?”

“I do.” Alexis met Ashlyn’s furious gaze. “I know I have failed her as a mother. I live with that guilt every day. Until I saw you propose to her on the field, I had no idea where to even look for her.”

Ash shook her head as she made an angry, dismissive gesture. “Bullshit. Your former brother in-law is in the NSA, I’m sure he could have found her at any point. Dakota may be waffling between being upset with you and wanting her mother back, but from my perspective, it looks like you saw an opportunity once you realized who she had chosen to spend her life with.”

“I assure you, that’s not the case.”

“I’m not the sort of person who accepts platitudes from people who abandon their children.”

Alexis sat back in her chair and put her hands in her lap. “I intend to prove that I am a better person than that now.”

Any further conversation was halted by Dakota’s return. She caught a glimpse of Ashlyn’s dark expression before it was replaced by a tight smile, and she knew something had happened while she had been away. Whatever it was, it would wait until they were home again.

 

“You said Gene had no children?” She asked as she settled into her seat once more.

“Not then, no. He has a daughter now, Eldar, two years younger than you. He has asked me to give you this.” Alexis slid a business card across the table to her daughter. “He would like you to get in touch. Not only to open the trust fund to you but also to speak to you again.”

“Open the trust fund?”

“Yes. He expressed a wish to see you have it. I know this comes far too late, but from everything I’ve been told, once the trust fund is opened, you’ll be quite wealthy, Dakota.”

“I would have preferred love.” Dakota said quietly as she fingered the business card.

Alexis was flooded with regret and sorrow. “I know, and I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life being sorry.”

 

****

Their lunch arrived and Ash poured tea for Dakota. There was no conversation until they had all finished.

“So tell me, how are the wedding preparations going?”

“There’s still a fair bit to do.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“I’d hardly say we’re at that point, Mother.”

“Yes, of course. Keep my offer in mind though, won’t you?”

Dakota sat back in her chair and regarded the woman she wanted to be furious with. Then she sighed heavily. “When I was shot, and was told I had died, I came to realize that we are given pivotal moments in our lives. I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a few of them. As angry and abandoned as I have felt over the past fifteen years, I admit that I’ve also seen the pointlessness of holding a grudge.”

Ashlyn turned and studied her with a slow lift of an eyebrow.

“I know,” DK nodded. “But think about it, Ash. If just one thing in my past had been different, would I be the person I am today? Would we have ever met?” Dakota turned her attention back to her mother. “I’m a firm believer in the theory that important things happen in our lives for a reason. The only way I can make peace with most of the unfair and lousy events in my life is to have faith in the belief that they were necessary. So while it may seem as if all is forgiven, let me assure you, Mother, I’m not there yet. I am interested in seeing where we go from here, however.”

 

Alexis watched her daughter drink her tea as she tried to give words to her own emotions. “As I said to your fiancé, I intend to spend the rest of my life proving I am no longer the cowardly woman I once was. I accept that you’re angry, but I am also exceedingly grateful that you agreed to meet with me at all, and did not burn my letters. What would you like of me in the future?”

“I would be interested in getting to know this new you better, I think.”

Alexis let her joy spread across her face. “Thank you, Dakota. I hope I never give you reason to regret it.”

DK glanced quickly at Ashlyn, who smiled and squeezed her hand gently. 

They parted company soon after, promising to stay in touch. 

****

In the car, and back on the road, Ashlyn held Dakota’s hand. “You okay?”

“I guess. It’s exhausting dealing with all this. The two of you had words, didn’t you?”

“Well, I did.” Ash nodded. “I...shared my opinion that the trust fund might have been more helpful earlier in your life.”

“Ah, that’s why you looked upset.”

“I’m sorry, DK, I didn’t mean to overstep...I just…”

“It’s okay.” Dakota lifted their hands and kissed Ashlyn’s knuckles. “I would do the same for you.”

“You were pretty amazing, you know. I don’t know that I could have been that mature if I had been in your boots.” The blonde keeper shook her head.

“You don’t think I was too snippy a few times?”

“Babe, after what your folks put you through, you have every right to be bitchy!”

****

When they got home, Ali told them Megan had found three potential caterers and Hope had reached out to her photographer friend.

“Steph will be by this evening to take the engagement photos, if that’s okay with the two of you.” She asked.

“Sounds fine by me.” Dakota replied as she caught Hope’s eye, and the odd expression on her face. “What?”

“It’s just really hard to picture you as a con while you’re all dressed up like that.” Hope allowed with a smile and a shrug.

DK chuckled as she slid the blazer off and began walking towards the bedroom to change. “Just remember, Solo, I can still kick your ass with a straw!”

 

After changing into a black sleeveless t-shirt and jeans, Dakota needed a break from wedding planning and emotionally heavy decisions. In the kitchen, she side-eyed Hope and got an idea. She rose and went to her laptop, sitting idle on the work-island not far from the table. Using her body to shield her intentions, she brought up Skype and rang Christian.

 

Chris was sitting in the VIP room of the airline during his layover to Vancouver. He was tapping away on his laptop doing a consulting report for another engineering company. He noticed the Skype notification was flashing and picked up his belongings to head to a more quiet corner of the room. He opened the window to see Dakota’s face on the other end.

“Not that it isn’t splendid to hear from you, but is everything alright?” he said, concern evident in his voice.

“Of course! We missed you, that’s all!” DK moved aside so he could see the others behind her. Everyone called out their hellos.

“No Dr. Chris this time, the relationship must be evolving! I apologize for my appearance, I try to always be comfortable on my longer flights.” He backed his laptop up revealing his USWNT championship t-shirt and jeans. He was considerably leaner since the last time they had spoken. 

 

Dakota laughed out loud to see the jersey. “I must say, I love the choice of flight-wear! But why do you look like you haven’t eaten since you left us? Where are you?”

“I’ve been in training mode since I left. I needed to find something to occupy my time. I have been studying aikido and it’s really helped me lose some excess weight. I am eating like a starved horse. I am in Washington D.C. right now waiting for my next flight. I have that interview tomorrow I wrote about.”

Hope joined in. “Besides too thin, how have you been?”

Dr. Chris lifted the front part of his shirt, revealing abdominal muscles that were clearly not there before. “I’ll take too thin if I can maintain these! I was working on a consulting job when DK skyped in. It’s paying the bills, but I am still looking for another teaching position.”

Ali smiled at the blush that flooded Hope’s face. “Are you going to come and see us while you’re in Washington, Christian?”

“Unfortunately, I am only here for a couple of hours and then I fly to Vancouver for my interview.” As the young doctor shifted in his seat, DK noticed something on his left arm. It was all over his left arm, in fact.

 

“Chriiiiiiiis,” Dakota drew out his name. “Did a small child attack you with a Sharpie while you slept on the plane?” She let a mischievous grin spread across her face.

“Oh this?” he said pulling up his left sleeve to reveal a very intricate sleeve tattoo. “This is what happens when I get bored!” The design included a mixture of the three stars and insignia from the USWNT, some cartoon characters, tribal art, and tons of different colors. “I said when I was able to see the cut in my tricep after losing weight, this would be my reward. Plus, again, boredom.”

“It seems most of us in the family have tattoos now.” Ashlyn jumped in. “Have you been teasing medical techs with yours, Christian?”

“Oh dear Lord, would you let it go.” Dakota grinned and poked Ash in the ribs. 

Christian barely stifled a laugh that drew a raised eyebrow from Dakota. He put on his glasses and stared more seriously into the screen. “Am I correct in assuming something is going on that you needed a brotherly ear? I hardly think that you did this because Hope wanted to see my abs.” Again, he smiled.

 

Dakota started to laugh at the red face of Hope, who shoved her with a foot under the table. When DK finally got herself under control, she sighed and grew more serious. “I needed that. As if my life were not interesting enough, my mother reached out to me. Ashlyn and I had lunch with her.”

Christian’s eyes got as wide as saucers. “Your mother? Your actual biological mother?”

Dakota nodded. “One and the same. Apparently she is the Lieutenant Governor of Montana now. She wants to make amends.”

“Pardon my hooligan language, but didn’t she fucking have that opportunity a long time ago? Why fucking now?”

Ash chuckled as Dakota nodded. “I know. She claims she’s changed.” She shrugged. “On one hand, I’m still angry with her. It  _ has _ been a long time. On the other hand...I’m curious I suppose, and a large part of me…” DK let the thought trail away.

“Misses her.” Ash supplied.

 

“What I am going to say might sound harsh, but I mean it in the most loving way possible. Don’t be so fucking flippant about people changing. It  _ is _ possible and you are a prime example of that. I am an example of that.” He stopped himself short of saying Hope had changed, still terrified of the blue-eyed beauty that lived in more than half of his thoughts lately. “I am one of the least trusting people in the universe, but I also think people deserve a second chance if they are willing to put in the work to EARN it. I am not saying you should just invite her back in, give her a hug, smack her on the ass and everything is forgiven, but don’t shut yourself off to the possibility of having her in your life. There are many things that my father and I disagreed on and we had a strained relationship, but I would give anything to talk to him one more time.” The young doctor looked away and tried to covertly wipe a tear from his eye.

 

“She dropped a couple of bombshells you might find interesting.” Dakota said as she opened the fridge.

“What were those?” Christian asked with a small sniffle.

“Allegedly my uncle is high up in the NSA, and there is a trust fund that he set up for me when I was born. He wants me to contact him so he can open it. My mother acknowledged that while it is later than it should have come, it will make me wealthy.”

“I’m not taking my money back, Undomiel! Wealthy or not. I am curious though...Remember when we were in Washington and I got the call from my assistant about someone inquiring about my finances, but we never knew who it was. Do you suppose...maybe, just maybe, someone was checking up on you long before this meeting? Trying to see who you were involved with? As far as the trust, I would save it for when you and Harris have a child.”

Dakota had been drinking some cranberry juice as Christian was speaking. But as soon as she realized what he’d said, she inhaled quickly and started to cough and splutter.

“JesusChristonacracker, Christian, let us get married first!” Ash blurted out as her friends burst out laughing.

 

Once DK had control of her lungs again, she turned to face the laptop. “Chris, I don’t need the money, you’re sweet, but...holy shit...do you really think my uncle could have been looking into who I work with?”

“I can just imagine a little blonde baby with a tattoo sleeve drinking shitinaglass out of a bottle, can’t you?” he joked. “Seriously, though, I wouldn’t put it past anyone. Why would someone be that interested in my finances, want the information sent to Washington, D.C.? All they had to do was ask how much I am worth. Why be so covert about it? When I asked Nyssa before I left, she still couldn’t figure out who it was and it definitely wasn’t that wanker Adam.”

“But then that begs the question, why check up on who I choose to collaborate with, why be that concerned, but not concerned enough to reach out to me long before I started having some success in life? Why now and not when I needed help?” Dakota rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to make sense of what she was feeling.

 

“You said she was the Lieutenant Governor of what...Montana? That’s a pretty high political position. I feel like she knows a lot more than she is letting on. If your Uncle is in the NSA, she knows whatever she wants to know about you. Why she has waited is beyond me. If I had to guess, I would say it was shame.”

Ash nodded. “She should be ashamed. Even for all that my childhood wasn’t the best, I least I wasn’t …” She let the rest of her statement go unsaid.

“Rejected?” DK supplied. Then she made a face and turned to face the others. “Hey, Pinoe, Ali, can you give Ash and I a hand with something out on the veranda? Thanks...Hope, talk to Chris for a minute while we get this...thing...Thanks!” And before the brunette keeper could object, the others were hurried outside.

Christian sat in stunned silence, knowing his “sister” was probably planning this the entire time. He cleared his throat as he stared at the face that he swore looked back at him in the mirror more than once. “Hello.”

“Hey…” Hope began quietly. 

“So how is everything going?” He felt stupid even asking that because he already knew the answer.

“It’s been interesting. I, um, want to apologize for not writing more. I...miss you.” Hope blushed harder. “I mean…”

“I miss you, too,” he blurted out before even realizing what he said. He steadied himself and looked right at her. “I am going to be in Vancouver for a few days and I know you have a home match during that timeframe. I would like to come to the game and maybe, if you don’t object, maybe have lunch or dinner. It’s completely up to you. I understand if it is way too soon.” He had no idea what was making him ask her out, but he was, consequences or rejection be damned.

 

Hope’s smile lit up the room. “I’d really like that. It’ll be nice to sit and talk face to face again.”

“Agreed.” In the background, Chris heard  _ “Flight 149 to Vancouver, British Columbia will be boarding in 10 minutes.” _

“Figures as soon as this happens, I am having to get on a plane. When I get to Vancouver, I will send a quick correspondence and we can finalize everything. And um, Hope, two things. One, I miss you more than you can imagine and I am not afraid to say it. And two, I think your friends are putting ear wax on the veranda doors. Tell them all goodbye for me and I will talk with you soon.”

Chris closed the window quickly before Hope could say anything, although he immediately regretted it. His heart was full, though and the smile on his face couldn’t be removed with a blowtorch.

 

Hope sat in her chair looking at the screen for a few heartbeats before she rose to close the program. Then she went to the patio door and pulled it open. “All right, Cupids, get the hell back in here before you strain something.” When they had all re-entered the house, she went to retrieve a glass of ice water. “He was called to board, but he asked me to say goodbye for him.”

“That’s it?!” said Pinoe. “That’s all he said?”

“Well…” Hope took a drink, drawing the moment out, knowing how much the anticipation was driving her blonde friend crazy. She drained the glass and set it in the sink. “I may have a date when we get back.” She said as she wandered slowly toward her room with an evil grin.

“It’s about damn time, Solo! But what happened to asking for my blessing? He is my brother after all!” Dakota called out, knowing full well Hope could hear her.

“Too bad, Undomiel! We skipped that step!”

DK grinned. “Good.” She said quietly. “Maybe now I don’t need to sneak around.”

 

**_To be continued_ **


	5. She Dances With My Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn how Dakota feels about being cast aside all those years, and Ash learns something new about her fiance.

Once everyone had settled down for the night, Ashlyn and Dakota lay in the waterbed reading. Well, Ash was reading. Dakota had read the same paragraph three times. She sighed and set her book down on her chest.

“Tropical Storm not cutting it?”

Dakota shook her head. “Normally, I can’t put Missy’s book down but I can’t seem to concentrate tonight.” She got out of bed and slipped a light housecoat on. “I’m going to make myself some hot chocolate, do you want some?”

“No thanks, I’ve already brushed my teeth.”

DK circled the bed, leaned down and kissed her soon-to-be-wife. In the kitchen, she put the kettle on and considered her day. Lunch with her mother had gone better than expected. She spotted the business card she’d been given laying on the counter, where she’d left it.  There was very little information on it, only his name, email address and phone number. She turned her back on the card, leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. She was curious, if her uncle had been the one to inquire after Christian’s finances, that would explain why Nyssa had been unable to get far in her search. She wouldn’t have had any security clearance. But if that were the case, why had he not checked up on her long before? Could both he and her mother have been so caught up in their own lives they had simply forgotten about her until they saw the broadcast of Ash’s proposal?

Dakota considered it as she shut the boiling kettle off and made her hot cocoa. She slipped her uncle’s card into the pocket of her housecoat, turned the kitchen light off and went into the office.

 

DK turned the desk-lamp on and closed the door before sinking into the leather chair at the desk. She leaned the card against her laptop, cradled her mug in both hands and gazed at the cardstock. She sipped from her mug, set it down and gave her trackball a spin. Before she could lose her train of thought, and her nerve, she opened her email program and typed.

_If you’re reading this then you know my mother gave me your card. While I am pleased that you’ve expressed an interest in getting to know me as I am now, I have some questions._

_When I was born, according to my mother, you cared enough about me to set up a trust fund. You apparently felt strongly enough about it to argue with my father over it. But at some point, you stopped caring, you stopped asking about me and then stopped speaking to my mother when you discovered I had been thrown out. And yet, you did not care enough about me to find out where I was._

_Why?_

_Mother says you work for the NSA and have assured her that I have a successful career now. She tells me that it was you that convinced her to reach out to me. But why now? After I struggled to survive on the streets, after I had convinced myself I was unworthy of love. After I had counted and planned the many ways I could leave this earth without anyone noticing. After I fought and clawed my way through prison, after I found someone who holds my heart as if it were a precious and rare diamond._

_The strange thing about all this is that I don’t even feel as angry as I used to. I feel betrayed._

_I feel nothing for the passing of my father. He was a violent man who cared only for the contents of his favorite bottle. It may well be that I have inherited the tendency for addiction through him. But unlike him, every day I make the choice not to drink. I make the choice to get up and see the beauty in the world around me, in the people who share their hearts and dreams with me. When I was counting the many ways I could have left this earth, I woke up one morning to a glorious sunrise, full of colors I wasn’t sure even had names. When the sun had risen fully, I noticed I had tears on my cheeks. I hadn’t even felt myself crying, I was so moved. I knew then that to leave the world, as I was contemplating, would be to ignore a wonderful gift. And to ignore it would be to belittle and devalue it, and waste it. I couldn’t do that, so I made the choice to live, one day at a time, hour by hour, minute by minute._

_But that’s how I feel now, in retrospect. Ignored, discounted, shuttled aside, not important enough to fight for and neglected. Swept under the rug of time and memory, left in the dark of shame and guilt, not worth seeking and certainly not worth finding._

 

_A large part of me would like to feel happy I once again have family that is interested in me, another part, perhaps my inner child that was forced into hiding so that the adult in me could keep me alive, is still grieving._

 

_Ashlyn, my fiance, my rock, my saving grace has loved me without reservation from the moment she met me she says, and I believe her. Without her, the world would not be as stunning, as gripping or as awe-inspiring as it is. She chases my demons away, dances with my angels and vanquishes my fears with only a simple smile._

_That is love. That is unselfish, honest, genuine, quiet love._

_I take solace in the belief that I can find shelter in her love while I try to forgive._

_I have, just now, decided to cc Mother on this email, because I feel it’s important that she understand how I feel about all of this._

_So I welcome a dialogue with you if you can be patient enough to allow me to stumble occasionally in my grief._

_Love I can do. Forgiveness? I’m still learning that._

_Dakota_

 

When Ash came looking for her later, she found her still sitting in her chair in front of the laptop, propping her cheek on a fist, head canted to the side. Her eyes had finally closed, whether in release or in exhaustion didn’t matter.

A quick glance at the screen reassured that the message had been sent, and as much as Ashlyn did not want to intrude, the second line captured her and she found herself reading the entire message with tears in her eyes.

 

“Oh, babe…” She whispered as she stroked her girlfriend’s hair. “You deserved so much better than what they gave you.” Then she bent and gently lifted Dakota into her arms and carried her to bed. She tenderly laid her down and pulled the covers over her before turning the light out and crawling in beside her.

“Ash?”

“Shhhhh. I’m here.” Ashlyn stroked Dakota’s hair to soothe her back to sleep. “I’ll always be here to chase your demons away, sweetheart. Always.”

 

_**To be continued!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've enjoyed the story so far, please subscribe to future updates and you'll be assured to get the most recent work. Happy reading!


	6. A Man Known As Uncle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash has to go away and Dakota gets an unexpected visit from some strangers.

Ashlyn slipped out of bed and shut the alarm off. After last night, there was no way she was waking Dakota up, no matter how upset she might be at having her schedule disrupted. She slipped thick socks on and padded into the kitchen to start the coffee. As she waited, she looked out the window at the pool and got lost in the blue water, and her thoughts.

She’d had no idea that Dakota had ever contemplated suicide, it had never come up in a conversation, or even been hinted at. Ashlyn had been in dark places before, she knew the urge to give up and slip away. She also knew Dakota well enough to know that darkness didn’t pull on her like it had. But it didn’t feel right to admit she’d seen the email and yet gloss over the feelings within it.   

****

When Dakota woke up an hour later, she knew she’d slept later than usual by the way the light streaked through the curtains. She stretched and was surprised to feel her housecoat still on her, and yet under the duvet.

“What the hell…?”

And then she recalled writing to her uncle, waiting while the email was sent spiraling off through cyberspace….and falling asleep at the desk. As she rolled out of the waterbed, she remembered floating...and then Ashlyn telling her that she would always fight her demons. She inhaled deeply, and smelled coffee. Smiling, she went to get a cup, and find her fiancé.

****

Ash was sitting out on the veranda in a deck chair, face tilted to the sun, eyes closed behind her sunglasses. As the patio door opened and closed behind her, she smiled. “Morning, pretty lady.”

“Morning, sexy. Been up long?”

“A while I guess. How’d you sleep?”

“Soundly, I think. Did you carry me to bed?” Dakota stretched out on her deck chair and raised her face to the sun with closed eyes. “Man, that sun feels good…”

“I waited for you to come back. When you didn’t, I went looking for you. I found you sleeping on your fist at the desk. I was going to close your laptop up, but…”

“Did my email send?”

“Yeah.” Ashlyn sat up and spun to face Dakota. ”DK, I ended up reading it, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but…”

“It’s okay. I don’t have secrets from you. Nothing in there was top secret or anything.”

“It was pretty intense, sweetheart.” Ash lifted her sunglasses and rested them on top of her head. “I’m sorry they treated you the way they did.” She reached out and clasped Dakota’s nearest hand.

DK opened her eyes and turned her head. “Me too.” She said quietly.

“Would you really have…?” Ash couldn’t finish the question.

“Yeah. I was going to. That sunrise stopped me though, I didn’t lie about that.”

Ash got off the deck chair and kneeled at her girlfriend’s side, still holding her hand. “I’m really, really glad you didn’t.”

“So am I.” Dakota sat up and pivoted so she could take both of Ash’s hands. “Hey...don’t get all misty-eyed on me...I’m not in that kind of place anymore. Ever since I met you, I’ve known I’ll never go back to that darkness. It’s okay…”

Ashlyn said nothing, but reached out and took Dakota into her arms and held on tight while tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

****

After breakfast, Ash decided to go surfing with her brother while Dakota worked in the office. After getting dressed in blue jeans and a black sleeveless shirt, she decided to put her hair up in a ponytail. As she brushed her hair out, she stopped abruptly when she noticed some strands of grey at her temples. She wondered how long those had been there before she had finally seen them. She gave a fleeting thought to the possibility of dyeing them away, looked closer at both temples and finally decided she liked them.

The morning mail revealed no unpleasant surprises, but there was a C.D from Abby with a short note.

_ Heard a bit of this the other day in a cafe and thought of you. Took some doing but I finally tracked down who and what it was. Whether you use it for meditating or writing, I think you’ll find it peaceful. _

_ Abby _

Curious, Dakota took it into the office, put it into the laptop and hit the play button.

It wasn’t long before she realized what she was listening to.

A steady chant, one word, one tone really, accompanied by light ethereal music in the background.

“Nice catch, Abby.” DK said to the empty room as she opened up her files on Artemia.

****

_ Lura sat on the sofa, content to soak in the silence. Even at night in the medical clinic, there had been sounds to distract and jar the ear. This was the first time she had been wrapped in silence since the crash. She laid her head against the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. There was no hum from any machinery, but if she strained her hearing she could just make out the sound of wind outside. She opened her eyes and gazed up at the smooth white ceiling as the realization came to her that her life had suddenly become the adventure she had once only dreamed about as a child. She lifted her head and studied the room around her. All of the walls were the same white surface as the ceiling; everything was white, except the small table the computer had resurfaced. Lura leaned forward and touched the table that back on her world would have been called a ‘knee-table’ because it generally went no higher than one’s knees. It was still smooth of course, only the image of the texture had been changed. Curious to see the rest of the house she had been given, she stood and strolled through a doorway. _

 

_ The galley was all smooth textures and cool, impersonal surfaces. The walls were white, the sink and cabinets were faced in smooth steel and the counter-top and island had been surfaced in a hard, dark polymer. Curious, she grasped the handle of what seemed to be the largest cabinet and found it to be full of chilled food. _

_ “Mother would have called this a refrigerator.” Lura murmured. _

_ “Inquiry misunderstood. Please re-state.” The computer replied. _

_ Lura closed the refrigerator and began to look into the other cabinets, all of which were stocked with food and dishes. She turned then toward the island which sat in the center of the room, and as she looked around, she spoke aloud, “Computer...explain the features of this room to me, please.” _

_ “The galley is equipped with an interactive touch screen in the island…” _

_ Lura leaned forward and watched as the island’s polymer surface lit up with a brief explanation of the built in and interactive appliances, ingredient weight scale and recipe library feature. _

_ “Fascinating.” Lura nodded. “Computer, stop display and explanation please.” _

 

_ Lura strolled around her new house, familiarizing herself with the technology that ran her home, she decided she far preferred it over the tall building she had grown up in. She retextured a little in each room as the urge struck, until all the floors resembled fine cuts of bamboo, and the sink in the bathing room had taken on the appearance of stone. Tucked away in a corner, she found a spiral staircase leading down. She descended without hesitation and found herself in a large room. _

_ “Computer, what is this room?” _

_ “You are currently in the studio.”  _

_ The first thing that Lura noticed was the large, V-shaped desk in the middle of the room, covered in the same dark polymer the island in the galley had been. Behind it sat a large, inviting, seemingly sculpted chair. She crossed the room, pulled it away from the desk and eased herself into it. _

_ “Oh...that feels good….” _

_ She ran her fingers over the armrests, covered in what she believed was leather and leaned back. She was not surprised to find that the chair reclined easily, but it did seem to be getting marginally warmer. _

_ “Computer, does this chair have a heater?” _

_ “Affirmative.” _

_ “Very nice.” Lura smiled as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence. _

 

_ After a time though, her thoughts drifted back to Icarus’ request and the Paragon Exploration Project. The house, and it’s indulgent technology were a very nice distraction, but she reminded herself that it was payment for an expectation. she had work to do. _

_ “Computer, copy the files from file drive 1A upstairs to this desk, please.” _

_ “Which files would you like displayed?” _

_ “Information on the Paragon Exploration Project, beginning with initial goals of the project, early attempts at space exploration and initial research.”  _

_ A flood of files opened and spread across the desk surface in bright blue text and diagrams. all of which seemed too small for Lura. “Computer, display the information on the wall in front of me please.” _

 

_ It was hours before she rose from the soft warm chair and stretched.  _

****

“Dakota, are you home?” Ashlyn called out. She heard a reply from down the hall and made her way toward the office. The door was open enough to reveal the writer hard at work. Ashlyn slipped inside the room and stretched out on the leather sofa.

“Have fun?” DK asked as she continued to type.

“Yeah, it felt good to get back out there. Did you have something in mind for dinner?”

“Dinner?” Dakota spun the chair to face Ash. 

“Yeah, you know, that meal that comes hours after lunch but at some point in the evening…”

“What time is it?” Dakota turned back to squint at the corner of her screen.

“Your glasses are on the top of your head babe.” Ash chuckled a little. “Been working without them all day?”

“All day?” DK put her glasses on and peered at the corner of her screen again. “Holy crap, Ash! It’s six thirty!”

“Yeeees, hence my question about dinner. Did you not stop for lunch again?”

“Um…”

“Yep, that’s what I thought.” Ashlyn sat up and set her feet on the floor, remembering too late that DK had a tendency to lose herself in her work. “Okay, we’ll go out. What do you feel like?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been working all day? Where the hell did the time go?”

Ash stood and gazed at Dakota’s screen. “Just a guess, but I’d say into research into starships, world building, and two chapters by the look of this. Quittin’ time. Save all this and let’s go out. What’s the first food that comes to mind?”

“Ice cream.”

Ashlyn laughed as she watched the different screens get saved. “Okay, but I’m thinking more main course.”

“Pasta.”

“I happen to know a place that serves both.” Ash said as she gently guided Dakota out of the office and shut the door behind them.

****

When they got to the restaurant, Eve opened Ashlyn’s door first, and as she had when they were first dating, Ash opened Dakota’s door. Eve’s quiet and intimidating presence attracted some curious stares, but no one called out or asked for photos. They didn’t have to wait for a table, and were lucky enough to get a secluded spot in the back.

“I’m still not quite used to this.” Dakota confessed as Ash took her blazer.

“What? Being treated like royalty?” Ashlyn said with a quick kiss to her temple.

“You’re still just as charming as you were on our first date, and I still love that about you.” DK smiled as Ash took her own seat. “I meant having a body guard, getting really good service and private tables at places like this.”

“You deserve it. Did you have something specific in mind for dinner, or did you want me to order for you?”

Dakota smiled. “Order for me? Surprise me...but no cephalopods or crustaceans.”

Ash shuddered. “No worries there, sweetheart.”

Once their dinner had been ordered and they each had lime water in front of them, Ashlyn took one of DK’s hands. “Would you be okay if I went out of town for a couple of days?”

“Sure…” Dakota answered slowly. “Obviously this isn’t soccer-related.”

“That’s true. I have to finalize things with the apartment in D.C. Ali can help me, which will make it go faster. But it has to be done, and if I can wrap it all up this week, I won’t end up paying another month’s rent.”

DK smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay. I have an interview with channel three’s noon show in a few days and I want to get some more of Artemia done. I won’t be alone, Ash, stop looking so worried. Things have been quiet since Rena.”

“Sweetheart, as capable as Eve is, she won’t remind you to eat, or drink your shitinaglass, or make you smoothies, or hold you after a nightmare. Well...I suppose she could remind you to drink your shitinaglass, but she’d better  _ not _ hold you after a nightmare!”

Dakota chuckled for a few moments before becoming serious. “If I have a nightmare, I’ll call you. You can read a page out of the newspaper to me, and I’ll be okay.” DK watched the server approach with their dinners. “I haven’t slipped yet. I’ll be okay.”

“I know, babe. I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”

Dakota watched as a large plate of amatriciana was lowered in front of her. “No, but I was.”

****

Dakota’s interviewer, easily ten years younger than herself, listened to the countdown in her ear as they returned from commercial and turned a bright smile to the camera. “Welcome back to Inside The Authors. We’ve been speaking with acclaimed author, and recent media darling, Dakota Undomiel.” The young woman turned her attention back to the uncomfortable writer in front of her. “Rumor has it that the short stories in Two Miles Through Hell were written while you served time, is that correct?”

“All but two of them, that’s right.”

 

“Are the stories reflective of your experiences and the women you met?” The interviewer crossed her ankles and tried to look interested.

“Each story reflects some aspect of my experiences, but no one story is representative of any single occurrence of my time in prison.This is short fiction, remember. I have not reflected any one woman exactly. The women in my stories are either personifications of some aspect of a real person, or in some cases, a mash-up of quirks and personalities.”

 

“Why do you think the book has shot to number one so rapidly among anthologies, which isn’t a fast-paced category, normally.”

“That’s a very good question. I think the initial attention paid to the book set it in a different light and people were curious. I hope that the stories touch people in some way, make them look at the people around them differently. I don’t think many anthologies out there before mine dealt with this sort of subject matter, and I think the reading public was ready for something different.” Dakota answered as honestly as possible while trying not to sound egotistical.

 

“What do you say to people who are drawing parallels right now to Orange Is The New Black?

“It’s a little like comparing oranges and dragonfruit, wouldn’t you say? They’re both fruit but different enough that it’s not really fair to judge either by the same standard.” Dakota thought it was a ridiculous comparison, but decided not to overshare.

 

“What do you want readers to take away from your stories?”

“I’d like them to look at the people they pass by every day without a second thought and realize that everyone has a story. It might be a happy one, it might be a tragedy, but every single person out there has one. I want my readers to look up at someone on the same bus, or in the same supermarket line and see a human being. Not someone else taking up air and sunshine, but someone else who loves and cries and bleeds just like they do.”

“So your message is one of tolerance?”

“My message is simply this, treat each other better than you have been. Enough violence, enough killing. Smile more and shoot each other less.”

 

With the closing pleasantries concluded, Dakota shook hands with her interviewer and smiled as the tech took the microphone off her blazer. After a round of thanks, a few selfies and more smiles, Dakota allowed Eve to lead her out of the studio and back to the SUV.

She slid her sunglasses on and leaned her head against the back of the seat. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her clamouring mind, but after a few minutes it became clear that meditation wasn’t going to help.

She sighed and lifted her head to gaze out the window.

“You all right, Miss Undomiel?”

“It’s just us, Eve.” Dakota sighed.

“Sorry. It’s become a habit. You feeling sick?”

“No, my left knee is bothering me.”

“You’ve been having trouble with it since Rena stomped you, right?” Eve asked as she braked for a red light.

Dakota nodded, “Yeah and trying to find a comfortable position for it ever since.”

“Hasn’t the doctor let you know yet what all those tests told her?” Eve just shook her head. 

“Not yet, I’m hoping she’ll call in the next couple of days. I hope she can tell me something because I’m getting tired of this.”

“I know, but if it was an easy thing to heal, it would have done it by now, right?”

“Do you know how much you sound like Ash right now?”

Eve chuckled as she negotiated through the heavy traffic. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“She’s only been gone a couple of days and I miss her already.”

 

They pulled through the gate a half hour later. Eve opened the back door only after making sure no one was within sight on the street.

“You know, I’m pretty sure I’m not marked for death anymore.” Dakota said as she was escorted into the house. 

“You hired me to keep you safe, and I will continue to do that. Besides, I didn’t like the look of the dark car parked on the street two houses down.”

“What dark car?” Dakota turned back toward the door.

“That’s why you pay me to notice these sorts of things, Miss Undomiel.” Eve stepped between her charge and the door. “Do you need anything else?”

“What I need, Eve, you can’t give me.” Dakota flashed a mischievous grin.

Eve shook her head and chuckled. “No, Ma’am. I’ll be doing rounds. Text me if you need me for anything that Miss Harris would  _ not _ break my arm for.”

Dakota left the room laughing.

 

She set her laptop in the office and as she hit the chair with her hip, she caught the scent of leather. She stopped and inhaled deeply. “I’ve always loved that smell.” she acknowledged. No sooner had she made the admission, than the image of a tumbler half-filled with amber liquid flitted through her consciousness.

She trembled for a moment with a nearly overwhelming desire, but closed her eyes and took one shaking, deep breath, held it and then released it slowly. She did the same with four more breaths before she opened her eyes. “You need ice water, Undomiel. You can do this. Get your ass out to the kitchen and get some ice water.”

Nodding at her own advice, she did just that.

She was bent over and rooting through the refrigerator for a pre-chilled glass when she heard one sharp rap on the door. “You want some water, Eve?” she asked.

“No thank you, Miss Undomiel but I can’t speak for your guests.”

DK straightened up so quickly, she rapped the back of her head.

Eve stepped aside, allowing two people behind her into the house. “I’m sorry Miss Undomiel, but these folks insisted on speaking with you. They have badges and more security clearance than I’ll likely ever get.”

A tall and imposing man stood beside and just behind Eve, and as soon as DK made eye contact with him, he removed his hat and gave her a hesitant smile. Beside him was a woman in her thirties with blue-grey eyes. 

Dakota was confused, but she smiled politely as she wondered why her security guard looked so uncomfortable. “Hi…”

“This man claims to be your uncle.”  

 

**_to be continued!_ **


	7. New Beginnings?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope has agreed to a date, and we get to see another side of Christian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short little back-pedal. It's a very necessary set-up chapter. You'll like it, honest!

The day that Dakota had worked all day on _Artemia_ without noticing the passage of time, the Washington Spirit pushed The Reign, and Hope, hard. Christian had cheered for both sides, drawing some angry looks from some of the other fans. He didn’t care. He had friends on both teams and he yelled and cheered just as loudly for both of them. He even spotted Hope glance up at him once, and smile. In the end, the game came to a draw, 0-0.

After the game, Hope showered, and was relieved to see she had the locker room to herself as she blow-dried her hair. She slipped her pearlized sky-blue dress on before applying her makeup and slipping into her shoes. She turned back toward the mirror and gave her reflection a critical once-over. She allowed herself a small smile while admitting that Megan had been right. The blue did bring out her eyes. She picked up her purse and workout bag and went out to the parking lot where Christian waited.

Chris had pulled close to the curb and was scrolling through email on his phone while he leaned on the car. When he saw movement in his peripheral vision, he pocketed the phone and straightened up. Once Hope came fully out of the building, Christian was struck speechless for a moment. Her dress fell to just below her knees, and flowed like pearlized water. It seemed to him that her shoes, dress and eyes were all the exact same shade of blue, and it made him weak in the knees, especially when she smiled at him. The dress made Hope’s hair seem even darker, her skin more tanned and Chris couldn’t help but smile.

“You look like a bloody angel.” He said as he opened the car door for her.

“Thank you.” Hope let her eyes roam over Chris for a few moments. “Grey suits you. Not many men can pull off a pink shirt, but on you, it’s sharp.”

“Should I be embarrassed to admit Ash advised me?” He grinned and blushed a little. “She  _ is  _ the suit expert.” 

“Not at all. Pinoe helped me pick the dress out. We’re even.”

“It’s been some time since I’ve done this. Shall we go to dinner, then?” Christian held his hand out and helped Hope settle into the car before closing her door. Only then did he cross in front of the car and settled into the driver’s seat.

****

Chris waited until Hope had stepped into the elevator first before following her in and pushing the button for the twenty-first floor. He battled for control of his stomach on the brief ride, quite certain that his nerves would get the best of him. When the chime announced their arrival, he was relieved. “Have you been here before?” He asked.

Hope shook her head. “My first time.”

As the elevator doors opened, Chris advised, “Right turn.”

Hope left the lift and stepped to the right. Christian put a hand on her lower back to guide her without even realizing he’d done it. His already unstable stomach lurched as he remembered who he was touching, and he withdrew his hand. “Sorry.” He apologised quietly just as they approached a smiling hostess.

“Good evening. I’ve made a reservation for two under Jones.”

“Of course, right this way please, Dr. Jones.” The young woman beckoned to her left as she flashed a smile to Hope. “Miss Solo, congratulations on the save earlier.”

“Thank you.” Hope replied with a small smile. 

 

The hostess led them through the lounge with its long bar, leather covered stools and dark wood floor. She walked almost to the far end of the room, but finally stopped at a glass door. “Your table is ready for you.”  Christian opened the glass door for the women and once again, the hostess led the way, this time to a table in the corner. Chris held out Hope’s chair for her as the hostess smiled at him. “Your server should be here in just a moment.”

“I feel like I am part of an exhibit,” Chris said with a smile.

“Well, you  _ are _ on my home turf,” Hope smiled back. “I don’t think people are used to seeing me with any sort of smile on my face. I take it you’ve been here before.”

Chris’ stomach and heart raced to see which would stop working first. 

“A smile on your face is good,” he coughed out. “Makes me a little less petrified of you. And yes, I have been to Seattle a couple of times for meetings at Boeing. I love the food and the atmosphere here.”

“Christian, Christian, Christian, you need to get over that fear thing.”

“Never gonna happen,” he said with a sly smile, her saying his name making him feel a little less nervous.

A young woman approached the table with a smile, looking Dr. Chris up and down before realizing that he was with a date and it was a celebrity. She began her introductory spiel, but was clearly thrown off. It wasn’t exactly clear who was doing it to her though. When she finally finished, drawing a small chuckle from Hope, she breathed out heavily. 

 

Chris beckoned across the table first. 

“I’d like to start with popcorn shrimp and the spinach pecan salad please, followed by the fourteen ounce ribeye, medium rare.” Hope ordered her dinner all in one breath.

“And for you, sir?” Their server asked.

“I believe I’ll have crispy artichoke hearts, lobster bisque and a twenty four ounce porterhouse, please.”

“Wonderful. How would you like it?”

“Medium, thanks. Also, a glass of ginger ale to settle my stomach, I think. Hope?”

“Lemon water is fine, thanks.”

Once the waitress left, Chris looked at Hope and cocked an eyebrow. “Is playing keeper as easy as you make it look sometimes? I mean, Crystal Dunn ripped one from ten yards and you barely broke a sweat. The only one who seemed to make you nervous was Ali whenever she crept forward.”

“Ali knows my strengths and weaknesses in net. That’s the downside of playing a teammate. Of course, Dunn is on the national team now too.”

“The reaction on the half-volley Ali sent in was brilliant!” Christian exclaimed, fan-boyness overtaking him. “I have seen some premier league keepers get wrong-footed on those repeatedly.”

‘Thank you. We train pretty hard for every possible approach, watch film of opposing teams, and remember, just as well as she knows my style, I know hers too.”

“Maybe one day, I will lace them up and fire a few at you, you know, if you are up to it,” Chris laughed as the waitress brought drinks to the table. Chris took a sip of his ginger ale and noticed how the sun was just at the perfect spot to accentuate the beauty of the person sitting in front of him. 

Hope chuckled. “That would be interesting.”

“So, it’s been awhile, how are you doing?”

The brunette shrugged. “Divorce is...

“Shite.”

Hope’s forehead wrinkled slightly as she puzzled out the unfamiliar term. When it finally dawned on her what Christian meant, she nodded. “It is. I swear, I’m never getting married again. Anyway, you already know more about me than I know about you. I want to know more about the mysterious Dr. Chris. Dakota hasn’t been very forthcoming on details.”

 

“Well, you know a little more than I would have liked you to know about my past, but no changing that now. I have two doctorates in Literature and Engineering. My first love has always been writing and teaching and helping young writers develop their talents. I have written four science fiction novels and I do consulting work on the side for engineering firms. I am currently unemployed and looking for work. Would you like some references now that I have given you my resume?” he replied with a laugh.

Hope smiled.

“Seriously, I have a pretty good life all things considered. I am able to support my family and live how I’d like to. I couldn’t ask for much more. Well, I could, but then I think I would be wanting it all and no one can have it  _ all, _ right?”

“What do you mean by that?” Hope asked, the wrinkle in her forehead returning.

Christian knew where this could go, so he was very pleased when the appetizers arrived at the table.

 

“So I have one, burning, question.” Hope began as she settled  more comfortably in her chair. “How could you afford to write Undomiel and Harris a check that big and not even flinch?”

“I knew this would come up sooner or later and I am actually surprised it wasn’t earlier. To put it plainly, I’m what you would call -- loaded.”

“I figured as much,” Hope said. “I won’t pry, but could you put a number on that?” She laughed as she examined her appetizer. “These look delicious.”

Christian took a pen out of his jacket and wrote down something on a napkin and slid it over to Hope, who looked down and her eyes got as wide as saucers. 

“You, um, must be very good at your job,” she choked out.

“I try my best,” Christian said, pulling the napkin back and putting it in his jacket. “But I try not to flaunt it or make a big deal out of it. It’s a very, very small part of who I am as a person. As with you, I had to work very hard to get where I am and I have gotten some sense of reward for it. Can I just say something?”

“Sure.”

“You look amazing in that dress. I just thought I would throw that out there.”

Hope laughed brightly before spearing a popcorn shrimp.

**_To be continued_ **


	8. Cautious Cousins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota does a live interview on a local television station to promote Two Miles Through Hell and meets her uncle Gene and cousin Eldar.

**_Previously_ ** _ … Eve stepped aside, allowing two people behind her into the house. “I’m sorry Miss Undomiel, but these folks insisted on speaking with you. They have badges and more security clearance than I’ll likely ever get.” _

_ A tall and imposing man stood beside and just behind Eve, and as soon as DK made eye contact with him, he removed his hat and gave her a hesitant smile. Beside him was a woman in her thirties with blue-grey eyes. _

_ Dakota was confused, but she smiled politely as she wondered why her security guard looked so uncomfortable. “Hi…” _

_ “This man claims to be your uncle.” _

 

_ And now, the continuation… _

 

“My uncle? Uncle Gene?” Dakota blinked.

“That’s me.” The tall man nodded a little. He continued in a gravelly voice, “I’m sorry for just barging in like this. I got your email and it seems to me that it would be easier to have that kind of conversation face-to-face.” He fiddled with a long grey moustache as he spoke.

Dakota stood still, trying to decide if she could trust the two strangers standing in her kitchen, or have Eve call the police.

“You might want to shut the fridge while you make up your mind.” Her uncle seemed amused.

“Look, you can send your bodyguard away, we have proof that we can be trusted.” The young woman with the blue-grey eyes finally spoke up. “We brought the papers to sign your trust fund over.”

Dakota studied her carefully. She already saw the familial resemblance in the chin and the eyes. That particular shade of blue wasn’t one many people had. “I think we’ll be fine, Eve, thanks.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The bodyguard nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

 

Dakota closed the refrigerator and gestured to the table. “Take a seat. Can I get either of you something to drink?”

“Water, please.” Gene replied.

“What made you think I was making up my mind about you? Did I have a question mark on my forehead?” Dakota asked as she retrieved three glasses.

“One, your mother tells me you have a cynical and suspicious streak. Two, you hired a security detail after an attempt on your life. It stands to reason that you would be leery of unannounced visitors to your home.”

DK took three coasters from a stack on the counter, placed them on the table, followed by filled water glasses. Finally, she took a seat facing her visitors. “So, do I want to know why the two of you have security clearance and badges?”

“I expect your mother told you I work in a branch of security.” Gene’s moustache couldn’t quite hide his amused smile. This young woman with me is my daughter, Eldar. She works for me, in a fashion.”

Dakota crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “Well then, I expect the two of you know far more about me than I do about you.”

“That’s probably true.” Her cousin responded as she mirrored Dakota’s posture. “What would you like to know?”

“Someone looked into the finances of an associate of mine. Was that either of you?” Dakota didn’t hesitate to ask.

“That was me.” Eldar replied.

“Why? At that point I had no idea you even existed. He’s no threat.”

“You aren’t curious about his charges that were quietly swept under the rug? Do you even know who you’re working with?”

“Yes, I do. You had no right to go digging into his life.”

“My position gave me the right…”

“As what? A member of a security force tasked with keeping the country safe, or as my cousin?” Dakota interrupted. “Until my mother wrote to me, no one from this family gave a rats’ ass about me, so don’t suddenly start getting all protective now!”

“Ladies…” Gene interjected. “It was my hope we would all get along.”

“Honesty is a great place to start.” Dakota sat back in her chair, arms still crossed.

 

“You have a point.” Gene set his hat on his knee and laid his hands on the table. “Eldar suggested that we look into your associates before we made contact, and I agreed. While you have every right to be suspicious, we felt our caution was warranted.”

“So now that you’ve found no bodies and no terrorists in my life, I’m deemed as safe to approach?”

“I’m still not convinced your writer friend has been entirely honest, there is the question of his association with Al-Talaba. But I was intrigued to learn you didn’t shoot that woman when you had the chance.” Eldar said before taking a drink of her water.

Dakota sat stock-still watching her cousin. On one hand, she wanted to ask how Eldar knew about the incident on the beach. On the other hand, she wasn’t surprised. In the end, DK turned to her uncle. “I understand that Christian has worked very hard for his wealth, I’m obviously not blessed with the same resources you are, however. I’ll ask him.”

“Your mother warned me that you were a cool cucumber.” Gene’s voice, gritty and deep at the same time, vibrated through Dakota’s bones.

“I suppose suspicion runs in the family.” She replied with a glance for Eldar.

 

“I owe you an apology, young lady. As your family, we let you down. Your email was quite…” Gene paused to search for the word he wanted.

“Blunt.” His daughter supplied.

“You had quite a few questions. In the interest of continuing that honesty, I’m willing to answer them if you’d like.”

“I guess the most important one is why you waited so long to find me.”

“There’s no easy answer for that, I’m afraid.” Gene spoke slowly. “Once I found out how your parents treated you, I was furious. I avoided them for quite a while. You know I work within the National Security Agency. At some point in my life, I sacrificed family time for my job. So much so that Eldar’s mother left me. I have no one to blame but myself for that. At any rate, there’s a television in my office, usually muted. But one day I had left the sound on low, hoping to watch a soccer game while I waded through paperwork. Imagine my surprise when I heard a young lady talking about my niece. When you crossed that field, I turned the sound up and forbade anyone in my office to speak. You can’t blame me for being curious, Dakota.”

“I suppose not, but it’s been awhile from then until today. If you knew about the incident on the beach, why not reach out then? Why wait?”

“One of the things that I deal with is threats to national security. It keeps me busier than I’d like sometimes.”

 

“There’s something I’ve been wondering.” Eldar spoke up. “Why come back to Florida?”

Dakota drained her glass before answering. “Ashlyn was offered a place on the Orlando Pride, she’s been wanting to play closer to home for a long time now. With everything we were going through in D.C, we thought a change of scenery would be nice.” She stood up slowly. “I’m getting a refill, would either of you like more?”

They both shook their heads, and as she rummaged in the fridge for cranberry juice, she muttered, “What a time to quit drinking…”

 

When she had filled her glass and returned the jug to the fridge, she took her chair again. Her uncle slid papers across the table to her, followed by a pen.

“What’s this?” Dakota asked.

“Your trust fund. I’m only sorry it wasn’t given over to you much sooner. It might have saved you a great deal of pain. There are two sets there. If you’ll sign both, I’ll initial after you, and as soon as I get back to D.C, I’ll deliver these to the lawyer. The funds will be transferred shortly after that.”

Dakota retrieved her glasses and set them on her nose as she flipped through the sheets, trying to understand the legal-heavy language. “What’s the catch?”

“Catch?” Her cousin scoffed. “He’s giving you nearly two million dollars and you’re looking for a catch?”

“Eldar…” Gene said quietly. “You can’t blame her, look at how the family has treated her so far. Besides, you would be asking the same question.”

Dakota’s mind was spinning. “A million?”

“Actually, it’s one million, nine hundred and sixty nine thousand.” Her cousin replied casually

“I don’t need it…I can’t take it.” DK stammered.

Eldar finally relaxed. “I guess you were right, Dad.”

Dakota felt off-balance and nauseous for a few moments. “Wait...What? He’s right about what?”

“He told me you would refuse it. He said you weren’t like most of the family and a gold-digger.”

“I don’t need it. My book contract has made me comfortable.”

Gene sat across from her with his smile getting wider by the heartbeat. “Dakota, I am well aware this is not going to make up for all the pain you’ve suffered, but take the damn money, please?” He said gruffly before he reached out and laid one of his hands over her own. “Believe me when I tell you that Eldar had her own trust fund as well. This has always been your money. Sign the papers and within a week, it’ll be in your account.” He patted her hand and pushed the pen toward her.

 

Dakota drank her juice as quickly as she had ever downed a shot of whiskey, picked up the pen and signed her trust fund. “How long are you in town?”

“Just today. We have a flight scheduled back this evening.” Gene replied.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t meet Ashlyn.” DK pushed the signed papers and the pen back across the table.

“I’d like that.” Gene nodded. “I’m sure this isn’t the last time we’ll be in Florida. But we’ve given you a lot to think about, and I know you’re likely tired after this morning.”

Dakota shrugged. “It’s one of my least favorite parts of what I do for a living.”

“Can you make a proper living at it...writing I mean?” Eldar asked.

“So far, yes.”

“So you’re still going to do it, even after this money comes through?” Eldar sounded a bit perplexed as she gestured to the trust fund papers.

“Why not?” Dakota retorted. “I enjoy writing, it kept me fed after I got out of prison, and I’m good enough at it that a publisher has signed me to a multiple book deal. I’m legally bound to see it through, but I never dreamed of doing anything else. You had a trust fund, but you work for the government. What’s the difference?”

Eldar smiled tightly. “Good point.”

Gene’s gaze flicked between his daughter and his niece. They were both too cautious for any bond-building to happen right away. “Well,” He stood and folded the papers into an inside pocket. “I suppose we should take our leave…”

Eldar stood as well, facing her cousin. “Just so you know we’re on the level…” She took her government-issued identification and badge out of her coat pocket and laid them on the table so Dakota could see them.

DK didn’t hesitate to pick them up and study them carefully before handing them back.

“I understand you already have dad’s card. I wanted to leave you with mine as well.”

“Thank you.” Dakota wasn’t sure why her cousin was going to such lengths, but she was too tired to ask.

Gene had moved to the door already and opened it. “I’m pleased to see your bodyguard stays close.”

DK crossed the room behind Eldar, knowing that Eve had been just outside the door the whole time. “She watches over me carefully. I’m sure there’s still a few nutbars out there that would like to make me a trophy.”

Eldar turned and studied her. “Hmm.”

Gene spoke again as he put a hand on Eldar’s shoulder. “You know how to reach us, Dakota. Don’t be a stranger.”

They said their goodbyes and Dakota shut the door as they walked down the street to their car.

 

**_To be continued_ **

  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. The Attack From Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are surprises. Many not good ones, and one good.

Eve knocked at the kitchen door at the side of the house twice before letting herself in. “Miss Undomiel?” The house was quiet. “Dakota?”

Unsure if she should call out again, Eve closed the door quietly behind herself and listened.

She thought she heard something from the back of the house, but she couldn’t be sure. Eve knew it could be dangerous to make assumptions about Dakota’s safety, especially after everything that had happened in the past year.

She drew her gun from the holster at the small of her back and made her way through the house.

Just before she reached the office, she heard a sound like something was being dragged. “Miss Undomiel?”

“I need a hand…”

Eve stepped through the door, alert for a threat. When she saw Dakota on the floor, a small sound of surprise escaped and she hurried to help her off the floor. “What happened?”

“My leg gave out. I tried to get up but I couldn’t get my legs under me.”

Eve squatted beside her and lifted one of DK’s arms across her shoulders. “Put your weight on me.”

Once she was upright, Dakota was able to stumble to the sofa. “Thank you, that would have taken me a lot longer without your help.”

Once Dakota was settled, Eve asked, “Has that sort of thing happened before?”

“A few times. More when Ash and I had first started seeing each other.”

“What causes it? Do you need me to get you anything?”

“Maybe a bottle of water from the fridge, if you wouldn’t mind.”

As Eve passed her the bottle a minute later she asked, “Do you need to see the doctor or anything?”

“I think I’ll be okay now, thanks.”

“I had some errands I had to run, but if you need me to, I can send Miranda…”

“No, no.” Dakota cut her off. “I’ll be okay now, you go ahead and take care of your things.”

“You’re sure? It’s no trouble.”

“Eve, I’m okay, truly. I’m sure this will be as short-lived as it was before. I have your number and Miranda’s. If anything happens, I’ll holler.”

“All right…” Eve wasn’t entirely convinced. “I’ll tell Miranda to check on you frequently until I get back.”

Dakota smiled confidently and tried to look strong until she heard the kitchen door close. Then the facade crumbled and she collapsed back into the soft leather. “Of course, I have no idea where I put my phone…” She said quietly.

 

****

When Ashlyn cleared security and made her way into the pick up area of the terminal. She spotted Eve right away, and noticed her expression as well.

“Welcome home, Miss Harris.”

“Eve, have we _still_ not gotten to using my first name?” Ash rolled her eyes.

“No, Ma’am.”

“Okay, normally that would have drawn some sort of clever retort. What’s wrong?”

“Perhaps it’s best that we wait until we’re in the car.”

Ashlyn said nothing further as the worry began to gnaw at her. She knew something serious had happened if Eve didn’t want to discuss it in public.

 

Once they were in the car and out of hearing and sight of curious fans, Ash turned to Eve. “Okay, spill. What’s going on?”

Eve made a face, took a breath, made another face as if she had something sour in her mouth. Finally, she turned toward her passenger. “I hate doing this, but not only is it my job to watch over Dakota, but you made me promise that I would…”

“And you’re stalling. Just tell me.”

“Has she told you what’s happened since you’ve been away?”

“We talk and text multiple times a day and I’ve only been gone a few days. I thought I was up to date, but obviously I’ve missed something.”

“When we got back from the television studio earlier today, she had a surprise visit that I don’t think went well. Just before I left to come and pick you up, I found her on the floor of the office. She needed my help to get up. She said it had happened before she had moved in with you.”

“Did she seem sick?”

“Weak.”

“How was her breathing?”

Eve looked at Ashlyn curiously for a moment before answering. “She didn’t seem to be breathing heavy.”

Ashlyn saw the look and explained. “When it happened before, we thought it was her heart. She has a valve issue. But the doctor advised her to rest when she was tired, said it didn’t require intervention. Then she got shot, and you know how her recovery was.”

Eve nodded remembering the talks she and Dakota had shared about their experiences when she was still a detective in Toronto. “Before I joined her security detail, I thought her recovery was going fairly well. Even when she’s had these manic bursts of energy, she seemed to be okay. Once you told me she was struggling with sobriety, it all made sense.”

“You don’t think she…” Ash hesitated to finish her thought.

“No, I don’t think she’s been drinking. I think whatever was going on with her health before has made a dramatic return. Her color was off today.”

 

“Tell me about this visit.”

“An older man, and a woman about Dakota’s age I suppose. They flashed badges and government I.D at me. Said they were Dakota’s family, her uncle and cousin.”

“For years, they want nothing to do with her, now they’re crawling out of the damn woodwork. Did you hear what they wanted?”

“No. They were there less than an hour. The general feeling seemed to be different when they left.”

“How did she seem?” Ash asked.

“Tired. But we didn’t talk, so I didn’t get much more of an impression until I went back into the house to let her know I had errands to run. I offered to let Miranda go in my place but she insisted she’d be fine.”

“So she has no idea I’m coming home early?”

“No, Ma’am.”

Ash glanced across the car. “You know, at least when you were a detective, you would use my first name.”

Eve started the car, side-eyed  Ash and replied. “Yes, Ma’am.”

 

When Ash let herself into the house, it was quiet, as she expected. Dakota was rarely one for loud music. She set her keys in the bowl on the counter, slipped her shoes off and headed for the office. Dakota was there, still in the upright position Eve said she had left her in, fast asleep. Strangely, her phone was nowhere in sight. It was rarely out of her reach. Ash sat beside her and brushed a rogue hair away from her eyes. “DK...wake up.”

No response.

“Dakota?”

Ash sighed, positioned herself better on the sofa and pulled DK into her lap. Then she lifted her fiancée. “I think you weighed more in D.C.” She said quietly. “Come on, let me put you in bed where you’ll be more comfortable.”

It was a little tricky to get DK out of her clothes, but eventually Ash managed to get her into something more comfortable.

Dakota never woke up.

****

When she did finally rouse from sleep, she was confused for a minute. She remembered sitting on the sofa in her office, but not changing for bed. She rolled out of bed and sat on the waterbed frame for a moment, studying the dark window, regretting that she had lost an entire day. She sighed and stood slowly, hoping her legs would hold her this time. Dakota left the bedroom and moved through the house slowly, stopping in surprise when she saw Ashlyn and Eve playing cards at the table.

Ash saw her first. “Hey, you. You’re awake. Sit down, I’ll get your coffee.”

Dakota smiled at Eve as she took a chair beside her. “What are you playing?”

“Poker. Miss Harris is beating me. How are you feeling?”

“Less exhausted, still tired though, which is weird. What time is it?

“Almost ten.” Ash said as she set the cup of coffee in front of her. “It’s decaf, by the way.”

DK shot her bodyguard a look. “So, your errand was to pick Ash up and surprise me, right?”

Eve smiled. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“It’s a nice surprise, thank you.”

“I heard you met your cousin.” Ash said as she sat down and picked up the deck of cards once again.

Dakota sipped from her mug and nodded. “She and my uncle stopped by almost as soon after we got back from the studio. I think they parked down the street and waited.”

Eve nodded in agreement and discarded some cards. “Two.”

“It was a short, but surprising visit.” DK continued. “They umm...brought me my trust fund papers to sign. Gene said he was going to drop them off at the lawyer’s office when they got back.”

“Somehow I didn’t think they would give it to you that quickly.” Ash commented as she flicked two cards across the table.

Dakota knew she could trust Eve, so she didn’t hesitate to speak freely. “Ash...my uncle is giving me almost two million dollars.”

 

Eve and Ashlyn both looked at her and blinked.

Silence settled over the kitchen.

DK looked from one to the other and nodded slowly. “I know, it’s mind-blowing. I tried to refuse it, but he swore Eldar had a trust fund of her own.”

“Why would you refuse it?” Eve asked.

Dakota drank from her mug while she tried to organize her thoughts into some sort of explanation.  When she set the mug on the table, she said, “For most of my life, I either had very little or nothing. Once my parents threw me out, I grew accustomed to eating once a day, sometimes not even that. I can’t properly explain how a life like that becomes habitual. I had three meals a day in prison and there were days early in my sentence that I didn’t eat all three, because I still wasn’t used to it. Fast forward to life outside, somewhat more comfortable as more of my articles sold. At my core, I’m still that person, it’s only life outside of me that’s changed. I’m recognized by the occasional person in the coffee shop now, but that’s because of who I’m engaged to. When the publisher’s advance came through, it was pretty surreal. I can barely believe a nearly two million dollar gift. That being said, it still doesn’t explain it properly.”

Eve shook her head, returned her attention to her cards and laid them out. “Flush. And on that note, I think I’ll leave the two of you alone and do a perimeter check.” She rose and slipped her jacket on. “Goodnight, ladies. Text me if you need me.”

“Thank you for everything, Eve.” Ashlyn replied as she gathered the cards. “Including looking after Dakota earlier today.”

“I would have done more, but she’s extremely stubborn.”

DK stuck her tongue out as Eve laughed and left the house.

 

Ashlyn sat in the seat the bodyguard had just vacated, and reached for Dakota’s hands. “Babe, we need to talk about this.”

“The money?”

“No, your health. I think it’s time to go see a doctor.”

“This has happened before, you know that. It passed then and it will again. My leg has been bothering me since Rena stomped it.”

“I don’t think you should pass this off. This isn’t like before.”

“My sleep is all out of whack, that’s all…”

“Sweetheart, I found your phone in the fridge.” Ash’s green eyes held Dakota’s gaze steadily. “This is serious, sweetheart. Your legs are weak, you’re so exhausted that I was able to undress you, put you in pyjamas and you never woke up. You slept for almost eight hours. Your color isn’t good, your eyes have been bothering you and your sleep is all sideways. I see that you’re in pain more than you admit to, and I’m worried, Dakota. Yeah, all this family stuff is stressful, but I think there’s more going on than just that. Maybe it’s anemia, maybe not. Let me call the doctor tomorrow, please?”

Dakota heard the fear in Ash’s voice, she could see the concern in her expression. She had to admit that she hadn’t felt well in more than a few days. “My phone was in the fridge?”

Ashlyn nodded. “I know it’s never far from your hand, so I thought it was pretty odd that I didn’t see it when I put you in bed. I went to get a bottle of water, and there it was. It’s charging on the counter now.”

Dakota slumped in her seat a little more. “Okay.”

Ash leaned forward and kissed her gently. “Thank you.”

****

The next afternoon, by the time the SUV pulled through the gate, Dakota’s mood had gone from bad to worse. She had said less and less throughout the day, finally speaking only when spoken to. Ashlyn wasn’t sure if her girlfriend’s moodiness was due to an unexpected trip to the doctor’s office, or the sudden barrage of tests she had been subjected to. The thorough medical history questionnaire hadn’t been too surprising, but neither of them had expected the doctor to move schedules around, neither had expected blood to be drawn, or an MRI and they had both been shocked when the doctor sent Dakota for a lumbar puncture. Finally, they sat in front of the doctor again.

“I apologize for all the tests we put you through, Dakota, but I didn’t want to wait.”

“When will we know what’s going on?” Ashlyn had asked.

The doctor looked from one to the other. “I can’t be absolutely certain until all the results come in, but I have a suspicion, otherwise I wouldn’t have insisted we test Dakota today.”

“I know it isn’t anemia, and it doesn’t feel like my heart, so please, just be honest with me.” DK sighed.

Dr. Johansson closed her file and leaned her forearms on the desk. “I have a strong feeling we’re looking at multiple sclerosis.”

****

No sooner had the vehicle had come to a stop, Dakota opened her door and stepped out, followed quickly by Eve.

“Miss Undomiel…”

“I know.” DK snapped.

Eve pulled up short and looked from Dakota to Ashlyn.

“Sorry...I don’t think she’s feeling well.” Ash explained quietly as she passed the bodyguard.

Dakota was halfway in the front door when her left leg crumpled under her. Only Ash’s quick maneuvering under her arm kept her upright.

“I’ve got you.” Ashlyn reassured her. “Let’s get you inside…” Once the door was shut behind them, she picked DK up in a bridal carry and didn’t put her down until they were at the table. She set her gently in a chair and crouched beside her. “Does your leg hurt?”

Dakota shook her head. “I need to apologize to Eve. It’s not her fault.” She said quietly. “I feel like such an asshole.”

“I’m sure she understands. She knows you weren’t expecting to be at the doctor’s all day.” Ash rubbed Dakota’s leg. “Maybe you should use your cane for a little while, so you don’t fall.”

DK nodded silently and stared at the table top for a couple of minutes before whispering, “MS...”

“Yeah, I know, babe. It’s a curve ball.”

“Maybe we should hold off on the wedding…”

“No!” Ashlyn moved the chair so she could kneel between Dakota’s knees. She took both of her hands in her own and pleaded, “I’ve been in love with you from the minute we met. I’m not going to leave you because your immune system is attacking you. I want to go forward with our plans, as long as you can. Please, Dakota. I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

“But…”

“Sweetheart, if it is MS, we’ll find a way to live with it. There’s no reason to put life on hold. Lots of people live with this. We’ll talk to people, learn everything we can. We’ll find a way, I promise.”

Silent tears streaked down Ash’s face as she begged Dakota not to give up on their wedding.

They sat that way, holding each other close until the setting sun bathed the room in reds and oranges.

 

When Dakota finally fell asleep that night, Ash, still wide awake, slipped out of bed, got dressed and went to find Eve.

“Holy shit...MS? Really? No wonder Dakota was so quiet on the way home.” Eve got up from the small table in the guest house and went to the fridge. She pulled two brown bottles from it’s depths and set one in front of Ash. “If you don’t tell Dakota about this, I won’t.”

“Deal.” They sealed it with a tap of the bottles and they both drank. “She wants to apologize to you for the way she talked to you when we got home. She said she feels like an ass.”

“I’m sure she has a lot on her mind, it’s not necessary. It was just shocking because she’s never snapped at me like that, you know?”

Ashlyn nodded. “She’s scared.”

“How long until you know for sure?”

“The doctor said she put a rush on the tests. Might be as soon as a few days. She told us if it is MS, there might be good days in with the bad. She said there’s different types, and she could figure out which sort it might be by keeping track of how Dakota is feeling.”

“And if it turns out to not be MS?” Eve asked before taking a long drink.

“Then we go back to square one. But if they send Dakota for another lumbar puncture, she may need to be restrained from knocking someone’s head off.”

“I thought they deadened the lower back for that?”

Ashlyn shook her head. “The freezing never took. She felt the whole thing. She laid there stock-still and squeezed my hand the entire time. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, Eve, just sit there and tell her how brave she was while she cried silently.” Ash swallowed and drained her bottle.

“Fuck…”

**_To be continued..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to know what you think. Comments most welcome.


	10. Maelstrom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Christian and Dakota are delivered unwelcome blows, but each responds very differently.

 

Christian only had one more day before he was supposed to fly back to London, and he was eager to see Hope one more time. They had planned on seeing each other for lunch

 

“What do you mean you can’t see me anymore? What did I do wrong? I thought we had a great time, and we were developing a great connection.” Chris nearly shouted in confusion.

They stood in the front hall of Megan’s house, just inside the front door. They were supposed to be going out again, but between the way Hope was dressed, and the bombshell she’d just dropped on him, it was clear they weren’t going anywhere.

“I’m too full of cracks, Chris. You don’t want to get involved with me right now.” Hope angled her body away from him and hung her head, both reluctant and afraid to see what she was doing to him.

“That’s such shit, Hope, and we both know it.”

“Just ask Jill, or any of my former coaches or hell, ask Abby, she’s known me a long time.” She gestured wildly. “They’ll tell you I’m damaged goods. I’m not worth your time. You deserve someone less broken.”

“I don’t need anyone to tell me anything. You know, I thought you  _ might _ be different. I’ve waited 10 years for someone who I thought I could finally connect with, someone who wouldn’t destroy me again. You are just like all of the other women I have ever met. Claim to be broken, claim to be damaged instead of just saying you aren’t interested. Whatever, Hope. Life is too short to deal with this shit over and over again. Have a nice life.” He spun away from her, wrenched the knob and slammed the door behind him.

 

Chris got into his rented muscle car, threw the bouquet of flowers he had bought out of the sunroof and gunned it back to Vancouver, leaving those piercing blue eyes in his rear view mirror forever.

Hope stood where she was, hot tears coursing down her cheeks, cursing her own cowardice that once had again cost her happiness. Except this time, she had hurt a sweet man who had no idea why she had pushed him away.

“Seriously, Solo? What the fuck was that?” Megan asked from the other end of the hallway.

“Leave it, Pinoe. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Really?” Megan strode down the hall and got in Hope’s space, something she knew her friend hated almost more than anything. “I wouldn’t understand that you just ripped that poor guy’s heart out? I wouldn’t understand that he’s the first,  _ least _ fucked up person you’ve dated since…”

“Shut up, Megan. Just leave it alone, okay?” Hope spun on her heel and nearly ran to her room, slamming the door behind her before finally allowing herself to give in to her shame and heartbreak.

 

Christian was beside himself, eyes flowing freely. He wasn’t sobbing, but his mixture of hurt, anger, and sadness made a cocktail of tears on his face. He was going nearly 100 mph in the rented car and knew he was being unsafe, but in that moment, he ceased to care. He resigned himself to the fact that he would be alone for the rest of his life and maybe it was better to just drive as fast as the car would go and whatever happened to him would just happen. 110. 120. 130. The car was beginning to vibrate and protest at the increasing speed. Almost as if he was on automatic pilot, he avoided the vehicles he was passing, but couldn’t avoid the Washington State Police waiting on him.

“Fuck!” he said, tapping the brakes. “Just get me back to fucking London!”

After being detained for a couple of hours and receiving the reckless driving ticket he richly deserved, he drove more carefully back to Vancouver. Once back in Canada, he drove to the nearest bar where he planned on getting so intoxicated, he wouldn’t feel anything ever again.

As he approached what looked like the biggest dive he had ever seen, a man lingering in the shadows said “Hey, you looking for anything? I might have what you need.”

Chris sighed, and knew the spiral was starting, but he couldn’t have cared less.

“What do you have?” he asked, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket.

After buying 100 black market painkillers for $500, Christian took two of the pills and swallowed them down with a long pull of double vodka and soda. If he was destined to be alone, he was going to do it on his terms and he wasn’t going to feel whatever he was supposed to feel. He continued to drink and booked a flight back to London for the next morning. Saying goodbye to anyone was no longer an option. Coming back to America to work, even less so.   

 

About the time that Chris was buying painkillers, Hope was drowning her remorse in a similar fashion. Her painkiller of choice was vodka, straight from the bottle. Thankfully, she hadn’t run into Megan on either the trip out or the trip back from the store. Which suited her fine. She was in no mood to explain, she  _ couldn’t _ explain. She lifted the bottle to her lips, registering somewhere in the back of her mind that the bottle felt remarkably lighter already. But she disregarded the thought as soon as it had occurred to her. There was always more.

 

Once the bottle was gone, she attempted to put her shoes back on, intending to go back to the store and buy two more bottles. But she could only find one. Just as she’d decided to wear two different shoes, she found the mate to the first. Tying the laces was another story entirely.

After tying her shoes rather pathetically, Hope squinted at the door knob. She was trying to decide which one to grab when the door suddenly swung inwards. Hope pulled back quickly, trying to avoid being smacked in the face. Instead, she lost her balance and landed squarely and abruptly on her behind. It took her a few seconds to figure out she was on the floor, an observation aided by a very pissed off Pinoe standing above her.

“What the fuck, Solo? You’re smashed!”

Hope blinked up at her friend. “Fitting since... _ hic _ ...I’m broken anyway.” She slurred.

Megan sighed heavily and sat on the floor beside her. “Were you going somewhere?” She sounded as if she were talking to a small child.

“Was gonna go out...get shitfaced!”

“Mission accomplished.” Pinoe replied. “You’re already too far gone to be going anywhere.” Then she reached out and began to untie the mess of laces on Hope’s shoes. “You haven’t been this far gone since you tried to drink Dakota under the table in Toronto. I know what brought that on, but what about this time?”

“Huh?”

“Well,” Megan finally got the laces undone and was trying to wrestle the shoes off Hope’s feet. “From what I saw, Chris thought everything was going good. Hell,  _ I _ thought everything was going good. So what happened, Hope?”

“Fuck, I dunno...well...I guess I do…” Hope flopped backward and laid back on the carpeting. “Stupid Jerramy.”

When a long minute passed without further explanation, Megan nudged her friend’s leg. “What about Jerramy? What’s he got to do with this?”

**_****_ **

When the phone rang a few days later, Dakota had been laying on the veranda, mostly in the shade. But when the phone had rung four times and she hadn’t moved, Ashlyn realized she was asleep. So the keeper answered it.

“Dakota Undomiel’s phone.”

“It’s Dr. Johansson, this is Ashlyn, right?”

“Yes.”

“Is Dakota available?”

Ash glanced at her girlfriend’s lounge chair. “She’s napping right now, anything I can do?”

“Do you both have time to come see me today? We need to talk, and I’d rather do it face to face.”

Ash got a sinking feeling. “Your suspicion was right, wasn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so.” The doctor replied somberly.

“Do we need to have an appointment?”

“When you arrive just let my receptionist know I called you. I’ll make time.”

“We’ll be there as soon as I can wake her.” Ash pushed the disconnect icon and instead of waking Dakota, went inside to make a phone call.

 

Half an hour later, they were sitting in Dr. Johansson’s office.

“Dakota, I wish I were wrong. We ran the tests twice, all of them. I’m afraid it’s multiple sclerosis.” The doctor was sitting in a chair facing Ashlyn and Dakota. “From the history you’ve given me, it sounds as though you’ve had it for at least a few years with occasional flares and rest periods. We call this relapsing-remitting MS, characterized by attacks on the myelin, and even on the nerve fibers themselves if the myelin has eroded away.”

“The myelin, that’s the nerve coating, right?” Ashlyn asked.

Dr. Johansson nodded. “Right. The attacks are caused by activated immune cells. Because the attacks are so variable, we can’t predict them. The symptoms can be wildly different in everyone because of those variables.”

Dakota sat in her chair, blinking back tears and staring at the floor.

 

This wasn’t the first time the doctor had delivered this news to a patient. Time and time again, she had ended up speaking more to the support person than the patient. People afflicted with diseases of this magnitude rarely heard much beyond the diagnosis. She reached out and laid a gentle hand over one of Dakota’s. “Miss Undomiel, there are many treatment options we can pursue, ways to get ahead of this, there are resources available to help you live with MS. This is not the death sentence it seems. RRMS is like a roller coaster, there will be incredibly hard days, I won’t lie about that. But there will also be days that won’t be as bad. You may have a period of time where you feel like your old self again. What I’m trying to say is that it’s not all bad.”

 

Dakota reached out a hand, blindly in Ashlyn’s direction. When she felt those long fingers entwine with her own, she held on tight.

 

“There are physicians who specialize in MS care and treatment, I’ll pass on a couple of names for you to consider.” The doctor continued. “Education is key with MS, education of the patient and their loved ones. Support from family and friends is key as well. You can get through this, Dakota. You must have questions…”

Ashlyn peered at her girlfriend and waited. The tightness around her eyes and corners of her mouth spoke volumes about the frustration and fear she was feeling, but Dakota said nothing.

 

Ash turned back to the doctor. “What can we expect?”

“Well, as I said before, MS affects everyone slightly differently, but there are some commonalities. Trouble focusing, trouble dressing, difficulty walking as you’ve already reported.” The doctor gestured to the cane resting nearby. “Some people experience vision issues, some never do. I’ve seen appetite affected, both for food and for sex. Slurred speech, depression, fatigue is common as you’ve already noticed, but the bottom line is that we just don’t know what to expect, or when. What I want to stress though is that there will be good days, and you both need to hold onto that during the bad ones. I’ve put together a packet of resources and information for you both.” The doctor passed a large envelope to Ash. “There is educational material inside, specialists contact information in there, phone numbers of nursing services as well…”

“I’ll be taking care of Dakota when she can’t.” Ashlyn said.

Dr. Johansson smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me. But consider who might help when you have to travel for games. Even carepartners need to take care of themselves.”

********

As they left the building, with Eve on Dakota’s left side, and Ashlyn on her right, a woman called out.

“Excuse me…”

They all stopped and turned as one.

“You’re Ashlyn Harris, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m very sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could spare a moment for my little girl.” The mother gestured behind her toward a silver car with a passenger door open.

Ashlyn turned toward Dakota with a question in her eyes, and Dakota’s gaze travelled over her shoulder to rest on the occupant of the passenger seat.

“Ash…” Dk breathed her name with dismay.

The blonde got a quizzical look and turned to see what had made her girlfriend respond that way. Seatbelted in was a young girl, smiling and waving at Ashlyn. She couldn’t have been more than ten.

“Go. I’ll wait here with Eve.”

Dakota watched as Ashlyn crouched down to speak to the girl, shook her hand and chatted with her for a few minutes before her mother took some photos. Ash signed the girl’s t-shirt before reaching up and taking her own Orlando Pride hat off, adjusting it for the girl’s smooth head and putting it on her. She received a hug and a wide, happy smile, shook the mother’s hand and jogged back to Dakota’s side. 

“You know that’s one of the things I love most about you, right?” Ashlyn said as she offered DK her arm.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You just received devastating news, but you put that aside so that a sick little girl could have a couple of minutes with me.” Ash replied as they made their way to the SUV. “Her mother said she’s got leukemia, but they think she’ll beat it.”

“Looked like you made her day.”

“Hope so. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat, but I wouldn’t say I’m hungry. I don’t want to go out though.”

“I’ll make us something at home.” Ashlyn opened Dakota’s door once they reached the SUV and helped her in. 

Eve followed Ash around the car and quietly asked, “Was it…?”

“Yeah.” Ash sighed. 

“Damn.” Eve held Ashlyn’s door open for her. 

********

As Ashlyn chopped vegetables for a salad, Dakota sat at the table staring at the large envelope the doctor had given them. She didn’t touch it, but simply sat, looking at it, as if deciding whether it was a threat or not. Finally, she shifted her attention to her girlfriend and watched her wash celery stalks. “You didn’t seem very surprised by the diagnosis.”

“I wasn’t. When you napped, I was doing some research. Everything you described fit. Now that you’ve had some time to digest it, how do you feel?”

DK sighed. “Not myself. Knowing why my body is turning on me doesn’t help me walk any easier. It’s frightening as hell, Ash, facing a life of unknowns. How are you so calm?”

Ashlyn dried her hands and came over to kneel in front of Dakota. “Life is full of unknowns, from a new team, to how this salad is going to taste without mushrooms, to how we’ll handle days you can barely move. But no matter what this disease throws at us, we’re going to get through it together. I will always have your back. We’ll face the fear by learning everything we can about it, and we’ll make contingency plans for the bad days.”

Dakota reached out and cradled Ash’s face with her hands. “What would I do without my rock? I love you so much...I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t give up your career to take care of me.”

“Dakota…” Ashlyn sighed.

“I’m serious, Harris.The doctor said there would be good days, didn’t she? It would be foolish to give up on something you’ve worked hard on just to wait for my bad days. I want you to go to Rio as much as you do. I want you to be the best ‘keeper Orlando has ever seen. I want you to keep being who you are, and if you give up on your passions to wait on my bad days...you won’t be true to yourself. There are going to be some rough times ahead I think, and you’ll need a break from that. So don’t drop out of the world just to take care of me.” 

Ash hesitated.

“You said you would promise me anything.”

“Fine.” Ash sighed again. “I promise. But you have to swear you won’t give up on the wedding or the honeymoon.”

“But what if…”

Ashlyn reached out and laid one finger over Dakota’s lips. “I think the answer you were going for was, ‘I promise’.”

Dakota sighed. “I promise.”

 

**_To Be Continued_ **

 


	11. Nudity, Alcohol and Space Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out why Hope broke Chris' heart, and get to see a little more of Lura Steele's new world. And why is Ali discussing underwear with Dakota?

_ Previously; _

_ “What do you mean you can’t see me anymore? What did I do wrong? I thought we had a great time, and we were developing a great connection.” Chris nearly shouted in confusion. _

_...“I’m too full of cracks, Chris. You don’t want to get involved with me right now.” Hope angled her body away from him and hung her head, both reluctant and afraid to see what she was doing to him. _

_...“Seriously, Solo? What the fuck was that?” Megan asked from the other end of the hallway. _

_ “Leave it, Pinoe. You wouldn’t understand.” _

_...“Stupid Jerramy.” _

_ When a long minute passed without further explanation, Megan nudged her friend’s leg. “What about Jerramy? What’s he got to do with this?” _

 

_ And now, the rest of the story; _

**_****_ **

Hope pointed across the room where her phone lay on the floor. “Texted me. Stupid bastard...you’ll have to read it...room’s spinning…”

Pinoe got to her feet and crossed the room. “You’d better not puke in my guest room, Solo. Sera will kill me if she comes home from touring to the smell of puke.”

By the time Megan turned around, Hope was snoring.

“Okay, well, she did tell me to read it…” Pinoe muttered as she flicked through to received texts. She found the text easily enough, and shook her head as she read the words that had caused the heartbreak of two people very dear to her.

 

_ Hope, _

_ I saw your new boy toy at the match. Quite animated, isn’t he? Is that a British accent he has? He certainly does like his steak. Judging by the way he kissed you, it seems he might have some feelings for my ‘keeper. It would be unfortunate if he met with an accident before your third date. Get rid of him though, and I can guarantee he’ll be safer. _

_ Save a life, Hope. Send him away. _

_ Jer _

 

“That pompous, manipulative sonofabitch.” Pinoe uttered as she hit the home screen. “No wonder she broke it off with Dr. Chris.” Megan put the cellphone on the nightstand, and moved back to Hope’s feet. She knew that as strong as she was, there was no way she’d be able to lift her into the bed. Not floppy, deadweight-drunk-on-her-ass Hope Solo. Megan retrieved the pillow and tucked it under Hope’s head, then pulled the comforter from the bed. Once she’d made sure her friend was well covered, she turned the bedside lamp on, turned off the overhead and slipped out of the room.

****

While Christian was flying back to London, Dakota was trying to get control of her skin. She had woken up to legs that felt as if they were on fire, and the burning was spreading. She struggled to get out of bed without waking Ashlyn, who had training in just a few hours. Though it took almost every ounce of energy she had, she made her way to the pool. Potential paparazzi be damned, Dakota stripped off her pyjamas and slipped into the water. She sat gingerly on the bottom step and held tight to the handrail. In a minute, the burning subsided and was far more tolerable. As her skin stopped feeling like such an enemy, her mind wandered to her novel-in-progress. Would she have to tell the publisher about the diagnosis if the MS interfered with her writing? What about the next book? Would they need to rework the contract? DK sighed. She had too many questions and not enough answers.  She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind.

 

She didn’t remember sleeping, but when she opened her eyes again, the sun was rising. 

“Rough night?” A voice behind her said.

Dakota twisted as best she could without letting go of the handrail and nearly slipped under the water in surprise. “Ali? What are you doing here? I’d get up and hug you but…”

“You’re naked and wet.” Ali smiled. “Why are you sleeping in the pool?”

“My legs were burning. The pool was the first thing I thought of.  Now you answer my question.”

“Why am I here?” Ali replied as she strolled over to a nearby lounge chair. “Ash called me yesterday.  She thought maybe you could use a friend.”

“I’m glad you’re here, but how did your new coach take the news you were going out of town?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Ali made a dismissive gesture. “How long have you been in there? Are your parts pruny yet?”

DK chuckled. “Yeah, I should probably get out.”

Ali stood up and took a large towel from the poolside cabinet. “Really hope you aren’t self-conscious, because I can’t help you out with my eyes closed.”

“I’ll just focus on the fact that I’ve seen you naked…”

“There  _ was _ a strategically placed ball, remember!”

Dakota chuckled and tried not to worry about her nudity. “How long can you stay?” She asked as she struggled to get her legs under her.

Ali watched her friend struggle for only a few heartbeats before she kicked off her shoes and waded into the pool fully clothed. “To quote Hope...I swear, Undomiel, you are so stubborn. Let me help you.” Ali bent her knees slightly and wrapped an arm around Dakota’s waist. “See if you can get your legs under you when I straighten up, okay?”

DK wanted to protest, but she knew that her situation had come down to either letting Ali help or the brunette would simply pick her up and carry her out of the pool.

Once the towel was wrapped and tucked, Ali handed her the cane. “Do you want help getting into the house?”

“Normally I’d say I’m fine…”

“That’s what I thought. Here, take my arm on this side…” When they had made it into the house, Ali said, “Ash was going to get you out of the pool before she left for training, but I talked her into letting me help you. I wanted to surprise you. I hate to point out the obvious, but as much as you like to avoid asking for help, I think you’re going to have to from time to time.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” 

“True enough I suppose. Do you need help getting dressed?”

“I think I’ll be okay with that, but if you could give me a hand getting the clothes…”

 

Ali helped DK into the bedroom and made sure she was settled in the wicker chair before moving to the closet. “Okay, what do you want to wear today?”

“Something really soft. The shirt I picked out yesterday felt like burlap after a half hour at the doctor’s office. Did Ash tell you that the doctor sent us home with a bunch of information?”

“She did. She also said you hadn’t looked at any of yet. Where’s your red button down, Ash’s favorite?”

“Laundry. What about the dark green organic cotton t-shirt Abby got me? I can’t look at all that just yet...it’s too…”

“Overwhelming? What about pants? Would it be easier for you if maybe we looked it over together?”

“Soft, as few seams as possible.” Dakota replied. 

“What about track pants? Your black ones have loose cuffs.” Ali saw DK nod. “It must be pretty scary facing such a dramatic change in your life. There’s a lot I need to learn too, if we settle in together with some coffee, maybe it won’t seem as big a learning curve. You want underwear?”

 

Dakota began to chuckle. “Wonder if the fan forums would explode if I told them that the great Ali Krieger had been in my underwear drawer? There’s a neon green pair of boy shorts in there…”

“Neon green?” Ali opened the drawer and mock-gasped, “My eyes!” Then she chuckled. “They are  _ very _ green.”

“Laundry mishap.” Dakota explained. “They are the least annoying pair I own and they’re really comfortable, so I put up with the jarring color.” 

“Makes sense. Why don’t you get dressed while I make the bed. Ash never did believe in making it.”

Dakota wanted to prove she could still dress herself, but she also knew Ali was trying to stay close in case she needed help. She sighed and gave in. “Normally, I make it while she’s in the shower. It’s going to become a lesser priority in the future I’m afraid.” She struggled to pull her clothes on while she talked. “I appreciate you flying out, Ali, really. Did Ash tell you I made her promise not to quit playing to take care of me?”

“She did. She also told me you made quite the case for her needing to stay true to herself.”

 

Dakota had managed to dress her lower half, but even that simple act left her drained. She hadn’t thought she would need someone’s help to get dressed so soon. Ali left the bed half-made and crossed to stand behind Dakota’s chair.

“Ready?”

DK nodded and her t-shirt was pulled gently over her head. She got one arm in without difficulty, but the left one didn’t want to slide through the sleeve. Ali reached out and grasped her hand and settled the shirt in place. “I tried to do some reading on MS on the plane, but I’m afraid a lot of it is a blur. I think I remember something about skin being really sensitive. Is that where you’re at today?”

“Aside from the burning on my legs in the wee hours of the morning, no. At least, not right now.” Dakota reached up and tried to run her fingers through her hair while Ali finished the bed. “The smallest things seem to tire me out these past few days, and I’m hyper-aware of how clothing feels on my skin. You saw how reliable my legs are.”

“This is the time that living in the same city would have been helpful. I could come over more frequently. As things stand right now, you have me for a week.” Ali said as she smoothed the quilt.

“Even if we were still in Germantown, I wouldn’t ask you to come over just to help dress my naked ass.” Dakota groused.

“I would if you needed it, so hush. You ready for that coffee?”

“Hell, yes.”

****

When Ash let herself into the house later, she was pleased to find Dakota reading aloud from one of the informational brochures while Ali made lunch. “The dietician provides information about the role of diet in managing MS. Although there is no diet or supplement that can control or cure MS, a balanced and high-fibre, low-fat diet can reduce fatigue and constipation, and promote wellness. The nutritionist can also work with the rehabilitation specialists to help people who have swallowing difficulties.”

“Afternoon, ladies.” Ashlyn left her keys in the bowl and went to press a gentle kiss to Dakota’s temple. “How’re you feeling?”

“Sapped. How was training in the new place?” DK rested her hand on one of Ashlyn’s hips.

“Different. I think I might like it when it grows on me. Thanks for coming out, Ali.”

“No problem. Anything for family, you know that. I made pasta salad and cut up some veggie sticks, can you get the hummus out of the fridge?”

“Sure. So some people have trouble swallowing?”

Dakota nodded. “Sounds like it, although right now I’m a little more interested in managing this fatigue.”

 

While the three of them ate, they each read over part of the educational material that the doctor had sent home. Ali cleared her throat and read, “There is a kind of fatigue generally attributed to MS sufferers called  lassitude. Certain characteristics of this sort of fatigue are being tracked by researchers, and through this improved understanding, can be better managed. Of the fifty to sixty percent of people with MS who claim fatigue as their worst symptom, there are more ‘off’ days reported than ‘on’ days. Acute fatigue is activity-limiting sluggishness that has either appeared for the first time or has gotten worse  over the previous six weeks. this can be an early warning that symptoms are about to flare, or become worse. The other type is known as chronic persistent fatigue, which is activity limiting sluggishness that goes on for more than six weeks, more than fifty percent of the day, during some part of the day.”

Dakota speared some pasta on her fork and commented that she hadn’t noticed the fatigue being as bad three weeks ago. 

“Maybe keep track of it in a notebook or something and then when you see your doctor next time, you can show her.”

 

DK nodded and changed the topic. “How’s Nyssa?”

“She’s good! She’s taken really well to D.C.” Ali smiled brightly. “I was surprised when she applied with the Spirit, but I figured she’d do well.”

“Do you two get to see much of each other?” Ash asked.

Ali laughed. “She’s all but moved in. She’s a really good cook, she’s neat, attentive, loving...I couldn’t ask for better.”

“Well,” Dakota grinned and gestured to Ash with her fork. “You could, but she’s taken.” Even though she tried to act like everything was fine, she couldn’t maintain the facade for long. “Ash…how am I going to finish the book if I get worse?”

“You work one paragraph at a time when your body lets you.” Ashlyn reached across the table to take Dakota’s hand. “You work as much as you can handle on your good days and rest on the bad ones. We’ll hire someone that can come and help when I can’t be here, someone that will be flexible and discreet. We can get through this.”

****

Chris stalked around his house, eyes blurred from a mixture of rum and percocet. He had spent the better part of two weeks since he returned from the U.S. in a state of perpetual intoxication. He turned his phone off, hadn't cracked open his laptop, and hadn't even unpacked his suitcase. His normally immaculate residence now a graveyard of empty liquor bottles and take away food containers. When his assistant stopped by to check on him, he called her a few choice words and slammed the door in her face. He was positive she had resigned, but he couldn't have cared less.

_ This was all a joke _ , he kept thinking to himself.  _ A cruel joke that those women played on me. I was a toy and I guess they are getting a big laugh at my expense. Fuck them, fuck everyone, I don't need anyone.  _

He downed another shot of rum and it didn't even burn going down anymore.

_ I should have known better. I am nothing but a nerd, how could anyone, much less someone like Hope Solo find anything interesting about me? It had to have been a joke that they were playing, or a bet. It was a bet. They were seeing how far she would go with it and how far they could push me. That's it. That's exactly it. I bet it was Dakota who came up with the idea. Get whatever help with her book she needed and then just do something like this as a thank you. I should have known her intentions when she insulted me by the pool. My God, I spilled my guts to that Hope Solo. I bet she told everyone and they think I am a psychopath. Two more percocet and then I will go get some more sleep. Maybe I can just sleep this all... _

Christian fell face first into his sofa and passed out, his body shutting down from the abuse he was introducing to it.

When he finally came to, he had made a decision. He turned on his laptop and fired off an e-mail.

_ I am interested in the teaching position at the University of Sydney, if you will still have me. _

_ Yours, _

_ Dr. Christian Jones _

****

It was five in the morning and while Ash and Ali slept, Dakota was checking her email. There had been no word from Christian in days, and she was starting to get worried. Her calls and emails went unanswered, unread and unacknowledged. When there was nothing new in her email, DK opened the novel files and tried to focus on Artemia.

 

_ When Icarus arrived the next day, he bowed in greeting much the same way he had when he left. Lura returned his bow. She had found the computer could make a hot drink that she found quite invigorating, and she had been enjoying a cup when the door chime had sounded throughout the house. She invited Icarus in and he sniffed the air appreciatively.  _

_ “I see you have been introduced to raklah.” _

_ “I have. Would you like some?” _

_ “Thank you, that is most kind.” _

_ “I’ve been reading the files you left with me, they’re intriguing.”  _

_ “Have you come to any insights?” He asked as he cradled the handle-less cup. _

_ “A few. I think the ship designs I have seen so far could be improved upon, which would result in improved flight conditions. The Starker profile could be made sleeker, thereby reducing drag. If the pilot seat were inclined ten degrees, the ship could be designed with a lower head.” _

_ “Head? I do not understand.” _

_ “The profile of the ship would not be as tall. By angling the pilot seat, there is less head-room required, and less materials needed to build each ship. This would also allow the ship to glide through atmospheric resistance, reducing fuel usage.” _

 

_ Icarus nodded. “That seems logical.” _

_ “I would also suggest another design change for the Starker. If the wings were more swept, it would allow the ship increased acceleration within a shorter range. Computer, project file image ST03 on the wall in front of me, please.” _

_ The wall across from them shimmered with a drawing of a ship the Artemian government was currently using. _

_ “This is the Starker is it is according to the file you gave me.” Lura said. “Computer, now project sketch LSS01 below that, same scale, please.” _

_ The computer responded by displaying Lura’s modified rendering of the Starker.  _

_ “You can see the profile is sleeker, the wings more swept and the body is actually 2 lengths shorter…” _

_ “Indeed. But if the pilot’s seat were inclined, would they not have difficulty seeing the controls?” _

_ “Not if we change the arrangement.” Lura replied. “If the images of the cockpit controls are the current arrangement, your pilots are looking at more than they need to. Bear in mind, I cannot give an entirely accurate report without sitting in the cockpit. But I understand you would likely need to speak to your Governmental Board for clearance.” _

_ Icarus smiled warmly. “Of course. Would you consider accompanying me? I was hoping you would speak to my colleagues, propose these changes as someone who has flown a craft through space.” _

_ **** _

_ Lura sat at a long table facing the Governmental Board. Four men and four women sat behind their own table gazing at her until Icarus cleared his throat. _

_ “Fellow Board members, I would like to introduce you to Pilot Lura Steele. I have asked her here today to speak to you regarding the Paragon Exploration Project. As a pilot, she has suggested to me some recommendations for modifications to the Starker ship currently in our space program. Pilot Steele, would you share your insights with the rest of the Board, please?” _

 

_ As Lura outlined the the modifications, she could see some on the Board nodding. Icarus looked highly pleased. _

_ When Lura had finished speaking, a woman with a purple streak in her hair leaned forward. “We have heard many things about you, Pilot Steele. I wonder though, how many are true.” _

_ “I suppose that would depend on what you’ve heard.” Lura responded. “It is true I am from another planet. It is true my ship crashed into your world.” _

_ “Boardmember Icarus seems to think you may be of some assistance in our quest to explore the stars. Is that true?” Asked the Board member with the purple streak. _

_ “I can make recommendations based on my experiences as a pilot. I can share with you what I know about flight in space, about ship design and to a limited capacity, propulsion. I can share my limited understanding of the technology used to survive on my planet until we were wiped out. If you’re asking me to quantify the extent of my knowledge that will benefit your world, I would have some difficulty. I have no way of pre-ordaining what facets of knowledge you would find useful. But I am willing to be as useful as I can.” _

_ Icarus spoke up again. “I propose that the Governmental Board officially take on Pilot Steele as a consultant, with the domestic benefits we have already bestowed, as well as a living wage. It is my belief that her insights and guidance will prove instrumental to the Paragon Exploration Project, and our evolution as a society.” _

_ “You pin much of our future on one woman, Boardmember Icarus.” Observed another man. _

_ “I am aware, Boardmember Marius. When we have listened to the voices of our ancestors in times past, we have benefitted as a people. I am proposing nothing less here today.” _

_ “Are any here today opposed?” The woman with the purple hair asked of her colleagues. _

_ When no one replied, she brought her hand down sharp upon the table top. “It shall be proclaimed that Pilot Lura Steele will now serve as consultant.” _

_ **** _

Dakota saved her work, took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. After putting her glasses back on, she checked her email one more time.

Still nothing new.

“Damn it, Christian, where the hell are you?”

 

**_To be continued_ **

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far, I can only assume something has captured you. I'm pleased to share that I'll be developing and fleshing Lura's story out, with an eye to publishing it.  
> (Have you subscribed to updates for this story? There's some great stuff coming that you don't want to miss!)


	12. Intercontinental Slap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls bring Christian back to the States, Dakota slaps him and Ashlyn threatens to kick his ass.  
> Why?  
> Read on!

Dakota finally got an answer, of sorts, later that day. She had given up hearing from Christian at all when an unfamiliar sender caught her eye. With a blossoming sense of dread, she read the email.

 

_ Ms. Undomiel, _

_ I wasn't even sure how to reach you until I found this email address in Dr. Jones' notes. _

_ The crux of my correspondence is this: He is in trouble. _

_ I am not sure what happened to him during his visit stateside, but he is completely different. He is soddled all the time and I think he might be involved in drugs. He was very open with me about his abuse of pain medicine in his younger days and I believe it may be repeating itself. I went to his home the other day to check on him and he yelled incoherent drivel at me and slammed the door in my face. The other three times I have tried to check on him, I have seen him passed out on the couch or the floor and once, he was surrounded by a spilled pill bottle. _

_ I think we both know that this is not going to end well unless someone intervenes. He is a very private person and I want to keep my employ with him, so I am turning to you for help. I am not sure what else to do. Please help in any way you can and if you need anything from me, do not hesitate to ask. _

_ Thank you. _

_ Jen, Dr. Jones assistant. _

 

“Ashlyn!” Dakota bellowed. She knew she didn’t have the energy to wander the house looking for her.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” Ash came running.

“Dakota?” Ali was right on Ashlyn’s heels.

“I’m fine, I didn’t mean to scare either of you, but seeing as that you’re both here, you should read this.” DK gestured at her screen.

They each stood on either side of her chair, reading silently. At least until they reached the end.

“Soddled? What the hell does that mean?” Ash asked.

“Drunk.” DK translated. “It’s a British thing.”

“Pills?” Ali said quietly. “He’s drinking and taking pills? After all the help he gave to you to get clean? What the hell happened?”

“The last thing I got from him was a couple of tweets.” Dakota replied. “One was thanking me for nothing, he said something about everyone getting a big laugh out of something and that he should have known better. In the last tweet he made reference to Sydney being a nice place, there was a ton of pubs and he’d enjoy spending his remaining days there. I thought he was kidding at first, but he seemed pissed off. I tweeted back and asked him if he got a job there. I haven’t heard from him since...until this.”

 

Ali sighed and sat on the sofa. She tucked her legs under her and seemed lost in thought for a minute. Then she suddenly sat straighter and went looking through files on her phone. She jabbed at her screen a few times, put the phone to her ear and listened. Finally she frowned and hung up. “Hope’s voicemail is full. That’s weird. I thought maybe she’d know. When we played the Reign, he was there, cheering for both teams. A couple of times, I thought the other fans were going to turn on him, but you know him, he didn’t care. We chatted for a few minutes while Hope signed autographs. They were going out to dinner after. He seemed almost beside himself, you know?”

 

Dakota nodded. “He never even wrote to tell me how it went. I haven’t heard from Hope since she texted to let me know your game was a draw.” She shook her head before rising from the chair, and with the help of the cane, stood in front of the window. “All that shitinaglass he guilt-tripped me into drinking, and then to hear he’s done this to himself? If I did this he’d kick my ass...or at the very least, get Hope to do it.”

“Well, if she was smart, she wouldn’t even try.” Ash supplied as she made herself comfortable beside Ali. “Have I mentioned how much I love this couch?”

“There’s not a lot we can do for him...it’s not like we can kick  _ his _ ass.” Ali said.

Dakota returned to the laptop, the germ of an idea forming.

Watching her type feverishly for a minute, Ash tried to peer around her. “What are you doing?”

“What I know my friends would do for me if I was acting as much of an ass as he is.” DK replied before she rose and left the room.

Ash moved closer to the laptop and read aloud the email that had just been sent.

 

“ _ Jen, _

_ I’ll be making arrangements shortly to fly into Heathrow. I intend to kick his ass in person. I have no idea what happened, but I intend to find out. As soon as I have flight and arrival times, I’ll write again to let you know. If you could pick me up, it would be most appreciated since I have no idea how to get from the airport to his flat. _

_ Thank you for letting me know. _

_ Dakota _ ”

 

DK was in the laundry room sorting whites from darks when Ash and Ali came in chatting about packing. “What are the two of you up to?” She asked.

“We’re family, right? And while today may be a better day for you, neither of us are going to let you go alone. So, obviously, we’re going with you.” Ali replied.

Ash nodded and DK knew she was outnumbered.

****

They were nearly at the gate before anyone noticed them. Ash and Ali had worn beanies and sunglasses to avoid being recognized. Despite that, someone took note and soon the whispers became louder. Loud enough to reach Dakota’s ears. “I knew the cane was going to make us obvious.”

“Because me, Ali and your two bodyguards all surrounding you wasn’t obvious?” Ash muttered back with a half-smile.

Dakota sighed, and the little group continued on their way to the their gate.

They were nearly there when three men with cameras came running up, until Eve put her hand out. “Unless you want those cameras to take pictures of your prostates, you need to stop right there.” she growled.

DK had to smother a chuckle as she watched them figure out what Eve meant. They kept walking.

“Dakota! Dakota! What’s with the cane?” One of them called out.

DK didn’t answer. She had somewhere to be and she was in no mood to talk to paparazzi, so she tried to ignore the flashes as they took photo after photo.

****

Christian’s assistant, Jen, unlocked his flat for them. “I’m not sure what you’ll find in there. Please let me know if I can be of any further help.”

Dakota nodded and smiled and steeled herself before turning the knob. Once the door was fully open, they were nearly overwhelmed with a horrible stench. While Ash groped on the wall for the light switch, DK tried to make her way across the room with only the light on her cellphone. Suddenly, the room lit up, and she almost wished  it hadn’t.

She was in the middle of the living room, surrounded by take out containers, laundry strewn everywhere, empty rum bottles, trash left wherever it had fallen, pill bottles tossed on the floor, and in the center of it all, a long sofa, with a sprawled and drooling Christian.

“Holy shit…” she heard Ali whisper.

“Oh my god…” Ash muttered.

Dakota hadn’t expected this. “Hard to believe that this is the same guy that convinced me not to throw my life away.” She sighed and went to the drapes, opening them with a flick of her wrist. Ali was peering at a pile on the table. “I’m not sure if this was noodles or a rabid squid, but it’s been here awhile.”

“The kitchen is just as bad.” Ash announced from the other room.

Dakota went to see if perhaps the bedroom had been spared chaos and destruction. She came back  a moment later coughing. “The bedroom and bath make this room look tidy. I can’t leave it like that. He’s passed out, so it’s not like he’s going to argue over it.” she took her jacket off and draped it over the back of a chair.

“What are you doing?” Ashlyn asked.

“I’m going to clean it up. I can’t leave it like that. Hell, I can’t even talk to him yet anyway, so I may as well do something productive while I have the energy.”

“I’ll tackle the kitchen.” Ali offered as she took off her coat.

“I guess that leaves me in here.” Ash said.

Dakota turned her back on Christian’s still form and went back into the worst rooms of the flat.

 

The bathroom was the worst, but once the toilet had been cleaned, the tub washed out and the laundry collected, it wasn’t too bad. Dakota opened the window a crack to air the room out and waded into the disaster her friend called his bedroom. It didn’t stink as bad as the bathroom had, but there was dirty laundry scattered everywhere in this room too. “Jesus...how many clothes can the man wear at once?” Dakota mumbled to herself as she piled the laundry in an unused basket. She stripped the bed, put fresh sheets on and collected the empty rum bottles. As she put them on the kitchen counter, an idea came to her. She went back into the living room. “Hey, Ash...I think his best chance of getting sober and straight again is our place, but if we don’t ask him, it’s kidnapping, right?”

“Yeah…He’s sixteen shades of gone, babe. No telling when he’ll wake up.”

“Do you think you and Ali could get him off the couch?”

Ali came in from the kitchen, drying her hands. “What are you planning, DK?”

“A nice, invigorating shower.”

 

The girls finally wrestled Christian’s limp form into the bathroom between them. “Now what?” Ashlyn asked.

Dakota bent and took Chris’ shoes and socks off. “No point in ruining expensive shoes...Put him in the bathtub, please. Just make sure he doesn’t drown.”

“DK, that’s chilly water.”

“It’s not cold, but nearly. I’m hoping it’ll be enough to shock him into consciousness. while you do that, I’m going to make coffee...if he has any.”

“I thought he didn’t drink much of it?” Ali commented.

“Right now, Ali, I don’t care.” Dakota said as she left the room.

 

Chris screamed out as his body realized he was in a bathtub. He thrashed around trying to get out, alternately scaring and amusing Ash and Ali who witnessed this debacle.

“What the bloody fuck?! How the fuck did you get in here? Did you do this to me? _JesusChristonacrutch_ that’s bloody cold!”

“Good, now get up and wash, you smell like hell.” Ash said, without remorse in her voice.

The two left the bathroom, closing the door behind them when Chris yelled from the shower.

“Hey Ali, if you aren’t busy, come here and help me get undressed and help me get clean!” he began cackling like he told the world’s greatest joke.

“Charming when he’s drunk,” Ali said, shaking her head.

“Sounds like someone has a crush on you, Al.” Ash laughed.

Eventually Chris got himself dressed in the clean clothes Dakota had left for him. He stumbled into the living room where the three of them sat drinking coffee on his sofa. “Am I hallucinating again?”

“No, we really did dump you in the shower.” Ali replied.

“I waited for some help in there, it never came. Who needs a drink?”

“You drank it all. There’s a cup of coffee over here waiting for you.” Dakota told him.

“Coffee? Better throw some rum in it, at the very least some Irish Creme. Come here to laugh at me some more, did you?”

“For a genius, you make very little sense. What are you talking about?” DK was getting exasperated.

“Don’t act like you didn’t have a hand in this! Make me look like a fool in front of the entire national team. I am fucking brilliant, I should have seen this coming! Where the hell are my pills at? What did you do with them?!”

“Again, I say, what are you talking about? Seen what coming? You took them all, I did nothing with your pills.”

“Bah, I need to make a phone call then. I don’t want to talk about it in front of them!” he said, pointing at Ali and Ashlyn. “They were probably the brilliant minds behind this whole fucking joke. God, coffee tastes like shit. How do you people drink this?”

Dakota stood and made her way slowly to stand in his space. “First…” She said slowly. “I don’t like what you’re implying. They had nothing to do with whatever has set you off. Secondly,” she enunciated, “There is nothing going on. You are rambling, drunk, stoned and accusing us of something that only lives in your addled mind. The entire national team, as you put it, has nothing to do with anything. Now...you either fly back to the States with us, get cleaned up and sober or you never see or hear from me again. We walk out of your life, personally and professionally. You can drown in your own rum soaked puke. Your choice.”

Then she waited.

“I guess I cannot go to work at Sydney pissed all the time. I don’t need to clean up, I can stop whenever I bloody well want. But since I know you cannot finish your novel without me, I’ll go back to the States with you. I want nothing to do with anyone from that bloody football team, except maybe Ali. Never noticed how bloody fit she is.”

“So charming.” Ali said, rolling her eyes.

“I sure as fuck  _ can _ finish it myself if it means I don’t have to put up with your shitty attitude.” Dakota snarled. Then she stopped and took a deep breath. “You helped me, Chris, now quit being a self-righteous asshole and tell me what sent you to the rum and pills.”

“So you meet someone and you spill your guts to them about your past. They agree to go out on a date with you and it goes wonderfully, even a small kiss at the end of the date and an agreement for a second one before I come back here. You show up at their roommates place and she tells you for some reason that she can’t see you again, some shite about being broken and I should ask around. When you plead with her and ask what you did wrong, she shuts you out. All of this while Pinoe is standing there watching. I mean, I know what I am, I know I am not beautiful and I am a fucking science nerd. But if you don’t want to see me, just tell me. Don’t let me buy a new suit, expensive dinner and then let me kiss you if you have no interest. At that point, you are just playing me, I was just a fucking joke to you. So you want to know what happened, I got played again by a woman. First time in over ten years I allow myself to be open and I get shit on again. I’m not going to feel the pain of this, I refuse to. So there it is. I am sure if you asked Ash or Ali, they could have told you. I am sure everyone on the team knows by now. God, I need a fucking drink.” By this point, the pain was evident and the tears of anger were real.

 

“If you weren’t already in pain, I would break your nose for implying that Ash or Ali know what happened. If you so much as hint at it again, you’ll see first hand what I learned in prison. Now sit down.”

Chris sat at the end of the sofa.

Dakota took another deep breath and evened her voice. “I’m sorry that happened. I had no idea. And before you tell me again how we were all in on it, or know all about it...we don’t. No one has heard from Hope or Pinoe, and before you assume anything else, stop and consider something. As much as she scared you, did you ever, for one moment think that maybe she was afraid too? And maybe, just maybe, Pinoe was there because...I dunno...she  _ lives _ there? Not everything is a big conspiracy, no matter what happened in your past.”

“I don’t want to talk anymore. I just want to forget. Forget everything. Blot it all away. Be alone. Go to Sydney and be alone. Oh God, I think I’m going to throw up.” He ran from the room and into the bathroom where the horrific sound of vomiting played a familiar tune through the door.

“So much for the clean toilet.” Dakota muttered.

 

Once Christian had finished emptying his guts and wobbled back to the sofa, DK lowered herself to sit on the coffee table in front of him. “I’m going to ask you one more time to come back to the States, willingly. and don’t give me shit about my book. You either come back because you want to live, or we walk out, and you’ll never see any of us again.”

Too weak to talk anymore and feeling too sick to fight, the young professor just nodded.

“Good! I’ll arrange for the plane and let Miranda and Eve know downstairs.” Ash slapped her palms on her thighs.

Christian missed the last part of the conversation as he slipped back into his opiate-induced sleep.

Ash chuckled as she retrieved Christian’s credit card from the desk. “Jen let me know where he kept it. He wants to be an ass, he’s going to pay for the flight back. On a private plane.”

****

DK settled into a seat across from the man she thought of as a brother, and as she took a breath, he snapped at her.

“Just leave me alone, Dakota. Just because I agreed to come with you doesn’t mean I have to talk to you. Where is the booze on this plane? I need a fucking drink.” Chris stumbled into the aisle, catching the back of a seat to keep him upright.

"Dammit, Christian...do you think I need this shit from you? I have family coming out of the woodwork, a wedding to finish pulling together and now I have to worry about another family member trying to kill themselves! You know something, you are the dumbest genius I have ever met.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chris was weaving in the aisle. “Lecturing  _ me _ about abusing anything when you’re fucking slurring your own words. How much whiskey have you downed since takeoff?! Don’t you dare talk to me about my drinking or what I choose to do, _ inmate _ !”

Dakota struggled out of her seat, got her bearings with the cane and slapped him so hard it sounded like a gunshot in the small plane.  “If you would pull your head out of your ass for  _ one _ minute, I would have told you, but clearly you don’t give a shit about anything but killing yourself slowly. You ought to be fucking grateful we care about you more than you seem to.”

Feeling DK's hand across his face and the heat emanating from his cheek shook some of the cobwebs from his brain, if only for a short time. He looked over at Ali with a  _ 'what did I say' _ look.

"You're an idiot." Ali said, going back to look through her magazine.

Chris went to stand up, and immediately fell back into his seat, too inebriated to maintain any sort of balance. He suddenly felt his stomach lurch and he crawled to the small lavatory and expelled every ounce of anything he had in his stomach. For twenty excruciating minutes, every abuse he had perpetrated on his body was coming back in a revolution unlike anything he had ever felt. He literally was expecting and welcoming death. The tears welled up in his eyes as he felt like he was never going to stop vomiting. He crawled back to his seat, moaning and groaning with every movement. He was pale, sweating and beginning to shake with each passing minute.

"He’s worse than you ever were," Ash whispered to her fiance. "Are you sure we shouldn't check him into a hospital?"

"No, I'm not." DK replied with tears in her eyes seeing her friend in his state. "I feel like we should try to dry him out first. If we can't, or he refuses to quit, we may have to hospitalize him for his own good."

As Chris shook and shuddered in his seat, Ali covered him with a blanket and tried to get him to sip some water, but his movements made it almost impossible. Before he finally slipped into sleep, he whispered "Please help me, I don't want to die."

****

Christian had slept the remainder of the flight, and as the plane taxied toward the small, private airport, Ashlyn glanced at him a little warily. “He’d better not wake up in a nasty mood or I’ll cold cock him and he can ride home tied up in the back of the damn SUV.”

Dakota couldn’t begrudge her girlfriend’s feeling. Ever since they had gone to London to retrieve him, she’d had moments where she felt the same way. Regardless, she sat in the empty seat across from him and nudged his leg. “Chris, time to wake up.”

Chris opened his eyes slowly, and began to panic, not knowing where he was. He could see familiar faces, but he didn’t know how he got there. He also had shooting pains in his stomach and it felt like someone was hitting the inside of his skull with a mallet.

“Where am I? DK? Ali? Ash? How did you get here?”

Dakota handed him a glass. “First, drink it. All of it. Then we’ll fill you in.”

“Shitinaglass?” Ali asked. “That’s harsh, DK.”

“Has to be done.

As Chris smelled the familiar concoction, he grabbed for an air sickness bag and wretched into it, only to find out his stomach had nothing left.

He looked up at DK, who was smiling sweetly, with tears in his eyes. "With every fiber of my being, I hate you right now Dakota Undomiel."

“I know, and I’m okay with that. We’re almost at the hanger, which means you’ll need to stagger to the SUV. You might want to take a few of those bags with you.”

****

On the way back to the house, they filled Christian in on how he had ended up back in the States.

“So...when Jen contacted me, I knew I had to do something. She let us into your flat. She was worried about you, and you had already slammed the door in her face multiple times. We cleaned your flat. I’m sure your neighbors are grateful. You were quite obnoxious when you regained consciousness.” Dakota said.

“Chris, you really are an asshole when you get like that.” Ali shook her head. “It’s a good thing we love you.”

“I… I don’t even know what to say. You really flew all the way over there to check on me?”

“Well, you paid for the return trip,” Ash said. “Call it the asshole tax.”

“If I was as obnoxious as I feel like I was, I probably deserve it.”

“Oh, you do.” Dakota chuckled. “At least now we know you have a crush on more than one member of the national team.”

“Oh God, Ash, I am so sorry if I said anything too horrible.”

Ali cleared her throat.

“Oh…I apologize to you as well, Ali. For the record, I knew it was you I was talking to. You are quite stunning. As for a crush on another member of the national team, I think that bridge was napalmed.”

Dakota’s eyebrows skyrocketed.

“I don’t know what happened, I just don’t. One minute we are making plans to see each other again before I went back to London, next thing I know she is telling me to go away. After that, life is pretty much a blur.” He rubbed his stomach, the shooting pain in it making him wince.

“There has to be extenuating circumstances, Chris. Hope was looking forward to that date.” Ali shook her head. “Yeah, she can be a handful, but it’s not like her to pull a stunt like that without a good reason.”

Chris groaned as his head and stomach decided to have a pain contest. “I am not so sure, she said she is broken. Maybe she is and maybe I don’t need that.” Chris stared out the window, hand on his stomach, trying to not cry as he tried to convince himself the lie he just uttered was truth.

“Well,” Dakota sighed. “We seem to be home. Thank goodness, I could sleep for a week.”

“How’s the pain?” Ash asked.

DK shrugged and chose not to answer the question.

“What pain?” Chris snapped his head around and asked, immediately regretting it.

“It’s nothing.”

“Great writer, terrible liar,” Chris muttered to himself.

Once her door was open, Dakota got slowly out of the vehicle and made her way to the front door. She struggled slightly with the cane and her bag until Ash took the bag.

“Go lie down,” Ash said quietly. I’ll help Chris get settled.”

DK nodded and went straight to their room.

 

“What is going on with her and no shite explanations.” Chris asked after Ash had closed the door. “Why does she have a cane?”

Ash leaned against the counter with crossed arms. “I’m going to tell you something, so pay close attention. You are family to her, and therefore to me as well. You have no idea what her trip over there to get you cost her. Do you remember much about the flight back?”

“I don’t remember much for the last month almost, Ash. I just remember shaking and vomiting.”

“You don’t remember lashing out at her, accusing her of lecturing you and implying she’d been drinking? You don’t remember calling her inmate?”

“Oh fuck, I didn’t. What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Ash shrugged. “Addiction I guess. You’re lucky she couldn’t land a punch, or she would have broken your nose a few times.” She sighed. “You ever speak to her like that again, I’ll bury your ass, Christian. There’s no easy way to say this...she’s been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That’s why she’s in pain, needs the cane again and is so tired. And today is a  _ good _ day.”

Christian felt immediately ashamed and even more sick to his stomach and started to sweat profusely. “Bloody hell. I trust bad days are really bad? I will apologize to her and Ali. I will make this right. I trust you know I wouldn’t say something like that to her if I was in my right mind.”

“I would hope not. But I meant what I said. Family or no, I will protect her. Even from you.”

“I’m no threat to her, just to myself, apparently.”

“We love you, no matter what it may seem like in the days to come, remember that. Do you want something for your stomach?”

“I am honestly not sure what will help, this is not a regular stomach ache. Maybe I should just lie down for awhile.”

“Okay. Come find me if you need anything.”

“Ali, want to take a nap with me? Just kidding.” Chris managed a chuckle before his stomach stabbed at him again.

“So charming,” Ali said, rolling her eyes and crinkling her nose.

**_To be continued_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to go on record here and apologize if the story/series seems to have gotten depressing. I did not intend for it to be that way. Despite Dakota and Ash's love story, I wanted to write a tale that reflected something of the real world. This is not, and has never been, fluff, folks. Shit happens to good people all the time. That's the way of the world. It isn't fair, it's not pretty, but that's life.  
> We are defined by how we respond to the pain and joys that are dealt us. My characters are no different.  
> I apologize if I've turned anyone off the story, but I have to write Dakota's story as my muse dictates.


	13. A Little More Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris begins the long process of recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since we've had an update. Both Frijole and I have been struggling with medical issues. Here's another chapter for you, we hope you enjoy it.

Dakota napped until the smell of garlic bread wafted throughout the house. There were definitely worse ways to wake up, she mused. She lay in the bed reflecting on her impulsive trip to London. It had been a crazy idea, both good and bad. If Christian had insisted on staying in London on his self-destructive path, her heart would have been broken. She was very grateful he agreed to come back to Florida, even if he hadn’t been entirely in his right mind. Dakota rolled carefully out of bed and stood for a moment, testing the strength of her legs. When she realized they were no different, she sighed and reached for the cane. The house was quiet and peaceful. As she passed by the room that Chris had stayed in the last time he had been there, she noticed the door was shut. Hearing no noise from within, she continued on her way to the kitchen. She poured a glass of water from the in-fridge filtering system and leaned against the counter as she drank it. Through the patio doors, she could see two figures out on the water, surfing in the late afternoon sun. Tempted by the possible warmth, she set her glass on the counter and made her way across the room where a note on the table caught her attention.

 

_ DK, _

_ Ali and I are surfing. We had salad and garlic bread for lunch.  Yours is in the fridge. _

_ Love Ash _

 

Dakota reversed her steps, and retrieved her lunch from the fridge. After warming the garlic bread and applying dressing to the salad, she set the bread on one side of the bowl and a fork on the other. Then she took her lunch out to the veranda, albeit with a small degree of difficulty due to the cane. It was decidedly pleasant to eat outdoors for a change and she wondered briefly why they didn’t do it more often. Once her lunch was finished, she set the bowl aside and leaned back in her chair to soak up some sun.

****

Christian tossed and turned in bed. He couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried and the abdominal pain was becoming unbearable. He sat up and groaned, the pain coursing through his body. He needed something to alleviate his pain. He knew exactly what his body craved.

"Making that phone call is not an option right now," he said quietly to himself looking at his cell phone. "How long have I been in here? Was I such a bastard in London that no one will even check on me?"

Another shot of pain made him hiss out his breath. He laid back and began to sweat uncontrollably. He curled into the fetal position and began to cry quietly. He looked over at the night table and saw a candid picture of Hope, Ali, Ash, DK and himself out on the beach from the last time he was there. He grabbed it and in his agony launched it against the wall across the room, the loud crash echoing through the quiet room. He turned the fan on high and allowed the cool air to soothe him into much needed sleep.

****

Outside, Dakota raised her head as a sound came from within the house. She couldn’t quite place what it was, and nothing followed it, but she rose from the lounge and went inside. The interior of the house was cool and silent as DK  went to Chris’ door and knocked gently.

“Christian? Are you asleep?” 

When no answer came, she turned and went to the kitchen to get something out for dinner.

 

After laying in bed for awhile, Christian made his way to his feet. He was soaked in sweat from his head to his toes and his head pounded. His abdominal pain had abated for the time being. He walked into the bathroom, avoiding the shattered glass of the picture frame. As he climbed into the hot water, he suddenly came to the realization he had brought no clothing with him from London except what he was wearing. He had to laugh at his circumstances to keep from crying. In the last month, he had lost all control over his emotional and physical health.

_ He was an addict, plain and simple. _

In his ten years of sobriety, he had forgotten how easy it was to slip into old habits and self-destructive behavior. Now, here he was. He didn't inflict any physical harm upon anyone, but his words, his actions had created a fallout. These people were his family and he let them down and then tried to push them as far away as possible.

_ My family...When my mother and sister find out, they are going to be disappointed _ , he thought to himself.

After he cleaned and dried himself off, he began rummaging through the chest of drawers for anything he could put on. He found a pair of seemingly baggy Penn State shorts and threw them on. To say they fit snugly was an understatement.

"Um...bit small, aren’t they?" DK said when she saw him.

"Thanks, sis, we neglected to pack a bag for me before we left, so not only am I suffering through the most painful withdrawals in the history of man, I have no clothes in which to do it in."

"I need to take a picture of this to send to Hope," DK said without thinking. "Oh, God, too soon, I’m sorry."

Instead of losing his temper, he just shook his head and sighed.

"We can go get some clothes later. There’s an oversized robe in my bathroom, put it on before Ali and Ash see you. Don’t worry, it’s not pink or anything. We love you, but I’m not sure Ali will ever want to wear those shorts again."

 

When Chris came back, wearing a black housecoat this time, Dakota was making tea. She watched him sink into a chair with a small groan at the table, and she set a glass full of a green liquid in front of him before stepping away.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep.” She answered. “Tea for me, shitinaglass for you. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve had better days.” Chris eyed the glass suspiciously.

“Do you want anything to eat? An egg or maybe some toast?”

Christian shook his head slowly.

DK nodded a little. “I’ve modified your recipe just a little.” She pointed to his glass. “I’ve been adding some protein powder. It’ll help you too. Bottoms up.”

Chris sighed and lifted the glass to his lips. He drank it all in one shot, before he could change his mind. When it was all gone, he gagged only once and watched Dakota carry the glass to the sink. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asked.

“Ashlyn told me what I said on the plane. Apparently I was quite an ass. You have to know that if I had been in my right mind, I never would have said it. So, I apologize for my behaviour. Thank you for caring enough to bring me all the way back here. May I ask you something?”

When he saw Dakota nod as she gazed out the window over the sink, he continued.

“Why? You already had so much going on, why would you fly all the way over there and put up with such abhorrent behaviour instead of just leaving me to wallow in my own mess?”

 

“Because I care. Because I don’t want you to die. Because I was asked to help. Because you helped me. Because helping another when I can is my responsibility as a human being. But mostly because I care about you.” She turned away from the window and slowly crossed the room back to the table.

As she sat down, Christian glanced down at the cane. “Even though your life is a hundred times more complicated now?”

Dakota shrugged. “It is what it is, Chris. My life was already complicated. Now, it’ll just be peppered with a few more bad days. You just focus on getting better.” She blew on her tea to cool it, and Christian could smell fruit.

“What kind of tea are you drinking?”

“Youthberry and chai, with a bit of honey. It’s really pretty good. Maybe when your stomach is a little more settled I’ll make you some.”

“I’d like that. But I think I’ll return to my room for a bit, I’m still quite tired.”

DK nodded. “Would you like one of us to wake you for dinner?”

Christian replied as he stood. “Please.” 

****

When Chris woke up, he uncurled his body cautiously. There were no more stabbing pains in his stomach, for which he was grateful. He was stiff and sore, but considering how he had felt before, he was relieved he felt no worse. As he sat up, his gaze fell on a box someone had placed on the floor beside an overstuffed chair that had not been there earlier. The chair looked rather comfortable, but it was the box that he was curious about. He walked on robot-legs to it and saw a note just inside.

 

_ Chris, _

_ If you don’t tell Ali about the shorts, I won’t. I went shopping for you, hope you don’t mind. Can’t have you going around in a bathrobe all the time. _

_ DK _

As he pulled folded shirts and pants from the box, two things occurred to him. First, that Dakota had a good sense of his style and second, she had gotten his sizes correct. Disturbingly, she had even gotten his choice of underwear correct. She had also gotten him a set of workout clothes, although he suspected it would take some time before he felt like setting foot into their gym. At the bottom of the box were running shoes, a pair of loafers and a pair of sandals. As he began to put his new clothes away he spotted the zip-up shaving bag on the dresser. Inside, he found all the toiletries he would need. He pulled a change of clothes from the box, took up his shaving bag and made his way to the adjoining bathroom.

 

After another quick shower, he looked at his stubbled face and realized how old he looked. He took the razor from the shaving bag and brought the blade to his face. His hands started to shake uncontrollably, causing him to drop the razor. He exhaled heavily knowing that until he could get the tremors under control, shaving was a dangerous proposition. He would just have to look aged for the time being. 

 

_ To be continued _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good thing Dakota went shopping for Chris! Did you have a favorite part of this chapter?


	14. A Shave and A Phone Dip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's some hard conversations coming...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These girls go through more phones than anyone else I know.

Dakota and Ash had been strolling on the beach under blue skies for a half an hour as Hope’s friend Steph snapped photos. Ash noticed her girlfriend smiling less and weariness pull at the corner of her eyes. “You’re tired. We can stop for a while.”

DK nodded wordlessly and they turned back toward the house.

“Hey Steph, we need to take a break for a bit, want to come back and have some iced tea?” Ash called to the photographer. 

When she got closer to the pair, Steph shook her head, making her dark curls sway. “Nah, thanks for the invitation though. I have another shoot this evening I have to get ready for. I’ll send you the proofs so you can pick out the ones you like. It was nice to work with you both.” She reached out and shook their hands before turning and heading back down the beach toward her car. They strolled silently back to the house, hand in hand until Dakota’s phone rang. 

She checked the caller ID. “It’s Pinoe.” She swiped at the screen to answer. “Hey, Megan, what’s up?”

“How’s my favorite writer friend? Is this a bad time?”

“No, we just finished taking the engagement photos. It’s been awhile since we’ve talked. Everything okay?”

“Well, yes, but no. I felt bad that it’s been so long since I called, so.”

Dakota could almost hear Pinoe shrug.

“Hope is out at the gym, and I wanted to call while I knew I would be alone for awhile. Is Ash there with you?”

“Yeah, we’re down on the beach.”

“Cool, can you put it on speakerphone? That way I can tell you both.”

DK sat down on the sand, tugging Ash down with her and tapped the speaker button. “Okay, you’re live, Pinoe.”

 

“Hey, Harris, I asked DK to put me on speaker so you could hear the skinny from me. I’m calling now because I have the house to myself. You guys are alone, right?”

“Yeah...what’s going on?”

“Well, Ali emailed me a couple of days ago and told me all about the big trip across the pond to bring Dr. Chris back. I think that’s a great thing you all did, he doesn’t deserve that kind of pain. I’m guessing Hope hasn’t reached out to any of you?”

“Not a peep.” Ash confirmed.

“Well, let me tell you what happened so maybe you can understand why it hit him so hard…” Megan told them everything she knew.

 

When she was done, they both shook their heads. “And you said she hit the bottle hard right after too?” Ashlyn asked. “Did she work that out of her system or is she still drinking?”

“No, that was the last time I’ve seen her drink since. She hit the gym a few days later and she’s been training hard since. She feels horrible for how she let him go, but she’s afraid that if she calls him, somehow Jerramy will find out and hurt Christian.”

“Tell her that he’s here with us,” Dakota spoke up. “Remind her we have security, tell her Jerramy likely has no idea Chris is staying here. He’s only in danger from shaving.”

“Pardon?” Megan asked.

“He’s getting clean, but he’s got some wicked shakes sometimes. He’s had to stop shaving until the tremors settle.” Ash explained.

“We need to help them both.” DK said. “They’ve been hurt too many times in the past. He needs to know why she dropped him the way she did.”

“I think you’re right.” Megan agreed.

Ash nodded. “Yeah. Okay, Pino, we’ll talk to Chris, you talk to Hope. Let us know how it goes.”

“Will do. Hey DK?”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry to hear about the diagnosis, that sucks. You let me know when you’re up for a visitor, okay?”

“I will, thanks, Pinoe.” Dakota disconnected the call and let Ashlyn lift her to her feet.

The blonde smiled. “Come on, I hear a warm hot tub calling our names back at the house.”

“Sounds good to me.”

 

As they approached their home, they saw Chris sitting on the deck, talking on a cell phone. They were surprised to hear he was speaking a language unfamiliar to both of them. He acknowledged them and finished up before punching a few buttons on the phone to delete the number, as they went inside to change into something more appropriate for a hot tub.

"That was definitely not British." Ash observed as they emerged from the house once more.

"Arabic. I speak a couple of languages fluently, helps with what I do."

"A consulting call?" DK asked, slipping into the hot tub.

"Of sorts," Chris replied slowly. "Regardless, I had to use your phone, Ashlyn. One more thing that got left in the UK."

"Okay," Ash said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You can leave it on the table over there."

As Chris was going to set it down, his hands began to tremor, sending Ashlyn's phone into the hot tub.

"Shit!" Ash and Chris yelled at the same time.

Ashlyn was cutting him apart with her eyes as she fished the phone out of the bubbling water, and Chris could feel it, which made him feel small and insignificant. When she pulled the useless phone from the water, she looked down at it with annoyance.

In a voice normally used by a small child, he said "I'll pay for a new one, Ash. I'm sorry." He turned and walked into the house, ashamed of himself and refusing to let them see him cry.

The slamming of the bedroom door seemed to snap Ashlyn out of her anger. "It really isn't that big of a deal. Let me go stick it in a bag of rice. Maybe I can save the sim card at least." she said.

 

After she’d done what she could to dry the phone out, she returned to Dakota’s side in the hot tub. "I know he didn't mean to do it. He’s much worse off than you were, babe."

DK nodded in agreement. "Well, he decided mixing narcotics was a good idea. I wasn’t trying to kill myself slowly. From what I’ve read, this is going to get worse for him. The fact that he even got out of bed is a plus. Most people won't move for days when they’re going through withdrawals, at least he's trying to work, I guess."

"Yeah, in Arabic. Another layer to Dr. Chris, I suppose. Now, why don't you slide over and make some room for your future wife." 

Dakota remembered Eldar’s question about Christian’s association with Al-Talaba, but decided to say nothing about it to Ash just yet.  _ Don't want to go jumping to conclusions, _ she thought. Her focus was redirected as she felt Ashlyn’s hands roaming under the water.

“Babe? Whatcha doin’?”

“Distracting you with underwater massage?” Ash replied with a chuckle.

“Well, that certainly is distracting. Oh, that’s an interesting spot…” Dakota happily gave up speech to return Ash’s kisses. 

****

That night, after dinner had been eaten and the resulting dishes loaded into the dishwasher, Dakota settled in the den with her knitting. Ashlyn settled on the sofa beside her with a book.

“You haven’t knitted for a while.” She observed.

“I’m stuck on a plot point in Artemia. I was hoping sock knitting might help me work it out.”

“Ah.” Ash nodded. “Well, if the sock doesn’t cut it, you can always bounce stuff off me.”

Dakota’s phone rang just then. “It’s Tom.” She passed the phone to Ash. 

“I’m gonna take this in the other room.” 

Christian came in just as she left. “Was it something I said?”

“No, she just got a call from her new coach. Probably about tomorrow’s game. Have a seat.”

Chris watched Dakota wrangle four needles and yarn so thin he would have thought it to be hair. “Is that number one of the pair?”

DK reached inside the bag resting close to her feet and pulled out another and gently tossed it into his lap.

“Oh, it’s rather light, isn’t it?” He said. “Almost like dress socks. I especially like the band of blue at the top.”

“Good, because they’ll be yours when they’re done.” DK replied with a small smile.

“Mine? Thank you.” Christian traced the rows of fine stitches with his fingers as the silence lengthened. “I’m sorry about Ashlyn’s phone earlier. It was completely unintentional.”

“She knows, it’s okay.” Dakota pulled more grey yarn into her lap as she glanced across the room at him. “When my uncle and cousin were here, Eldar confirmed she looked into your finances. She also thought I needed to know you had connections to the Middle East. Christian, normally I wouldn’t ask, but you were acting pretty cagey earlier. What is Al-Talaba? Do I have anything to worry about?”

 

"No, it's nothing to worry about," he replied nonchalantly, almost brushing the entire subject off. "Just business. At least now I know who has been looking into my life. So I assume you had a good afternoon judging from the sounds from the hot tub that woke me up. I don't know what the laws are here, but in the UK, you could get pinched for something like that." He attempted to laugh, but the pain in his abdomen made it too difficult.

"Chris, I'm not a child that will be happy with a cookie and a pat on the head. Don't patronize me. Exactly what is your association with Al-Talaba?"

 

"I own Al-Talaba," he said with a sigh. "It is an Iraqi Premiership Football Club. When I was doing some consulting work for the U.S. military in Iraq, I was taken to one of their premier league games. It was played in a run-down stadium with barely more than a thousand fans. The uniforms barely matched and the equipment was substandard. I did some research and found that the owner of the team was uninterested at best. Just wanted a toy to play with and was bored with it. I bought the team at a reasonable price and spent a fair amount on making their lives easier. They are all 20-22 year old kids playing on this team and I wanted them to feel some pride when they stepped on the pitch. I keep it very quiet and under an assumed name because neither yours or my government looks fondly upon business dealings in Iraq, and the Iraqi government is still very untrusting of outsiders. If your family comes across the name Ali Hassan Shaquiri, don't be surprised, it's me. I don't like flaunting the fact that I am wealthy and have my hands in multiple things. And not for nothing. Could you imagine the frenzy of phone calls due to my association with you, and yours with the National Team? The first sign of trouble for the women's league and knowing I own an international franchise, my phone would not stop ringing. Not that I wouldn't want to help in every way possible, but I don't ever want to be forced into it."

 

Dakota nodded. "Thank you for trusting me with that. Speaking of phones, we should probably go phone shopping tomorrow, hmm?" She gave him a crooked smile to ease the tension.

"Yes. I suppose I owe Ashlyn a rather large upgrade for the mishap today. Make sure I buy some high quality phone casings. This likely won't be the last time I lose control of my hands." Chris could feel sweat beading up on his forehead as he stood up and handed Dakota the single sock back. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to lay down, as you can imagine, I am not feeling well."

“Before you go, I should point out that a fancy looking phone casing isn’t the way to apologize, even if you can find one that’s military grade. Ashlyn responds better to positive action than to hollow gifts. Just something to consider.”

Chris nodded. “So noted.”

****

The next day, while Ash was at practise, Eve, DK and Christian went phone shopping at a nearby mall. It didn’t take long for Chris to find an iPhone 6s. He knew Ash would appreciate the upgrades to the camera and larger screen. A display caught his eye and he waved the salesman over. “Tell me about these.”

“Military grade drop protection on concrete floors from eleven feet. The plastic casing is biodegradable and compostable when the time comes, comes in three colors with a textured back for a no-slip grip, dust protection for the speaker as well as sturdy protection for the ports and audio jacks. It also has a raised lip for screen protection, it’s one of the toughest cases we sell.”

“Sold.” Chris said simply. “I’ll take one in blue and two in black. Also, I’ll take three iPhone 6s, all 64GB. One in gold, one in grey and one in white.”

“Sir?”

“Something wrong?” Christian turned and pinned the young man with a steely glare and an arched eyebrow.

“No sir, it’s just that most people don’t decide on a more than two thousand dollar purchase quite so...quickly.”

“You don’t want the commission?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Then let’s get to it before the friend I am trying to surprise wanders this way, shall we?”

“Yes, sir!” The young salesman hurried to fill the order with a bright smile.

 

Chris took the bag from the salesman just as DK and Eve entered the store. “Thank you.“ He shook the young man’s hand and pressed a fifty into his palm. “I appreciate your help.”

“Thank you, sir!”

“Find what you wanted?” Dakota asked as she approached him.

“I did. How did your errand go?”

“Good. I was surprised the store carried the software I wanted. Thought I’d have to download it over the ‘net. Anywhere else you need to go?”

“I’d like to buy her a card.”

“I know just the place.” DK replied as they left the store.

 

On the way home, Dakota chose to sit in the back seat with Chris. When they found themselves caught in a traffic jam, she seized the opportunity to have a difficult conversation with him. “Remember when you asked me why we flew all the way to London for you?”

“Yes.”

“Remember I told you that we cared about you?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to remember that I see you as the brother I never had. At least I don’t think I do. With the way family is popping up all over, you never know.” She muttered. “Anyway, now that you’ve been in Florida a little while, and you aren’t being such an ass, I think you’re ready to hear the whole story.”

Chris turned slightly so he could face her better, certain he wouldn’t like what she had to say.

 

“I’m not going to bullshit you with any preamble.” Dakota said. “You need to hear me out before you jump all over me. You would do the same for me, and I believe in being direct. Even though I’m sure you don’t remember, I told you in London there had to be a good reason Hope pushed you away. There was. When you attended her game, Jerramy was there as well. It seems he followed the two of you, knew you had steak and even saw you kiss her goodnight. He sent her a text basically threatening to hurt you if she saw you again, but not with any language that could get him charged. He told her to get rid of you to keep you safe.”

Christian looked out the window with tears in his eyes.

“She pushed you away for your own safety, Christian. Then she got drunk and passed out on her bedroom floor, but not before telling Pinoe that Jerramy was to blame. She let Pinoe read the text. That’s the only reason I know anything. Megan feels horrible for you. Apparently all Hope does is train and workout in the gym when she isn’t on the pitch. She’s pushed herself so hard in self-punishment that Megan is worried about her.”

Chris did not look away from the window for the rest of the ride back to the house. 

That night, Christian left two new phones, one white and one gold, boxed and wrapped, on the kitchen table. Leaning against them was a card with a heartfelt message of regret, apology and  gratitude. 

****

Dakota’s phone rang as she was watering the ferns in the kitchen a few days later. A quick glance at the caller ID revealed a welcome name. Tammye.

“How’s my favorite manager this afternoon?” DK asked with a smile.

“Is this where I point out that I’m your only manager?” Ashlyn’s mother replied.

“Skip that part. What’s up?”

“Are you familiar with The Font bookstore? It’s not too far from you.”

“Yeah, I was in there last week buying some books, why?

“How would you feel about doing a reading and signing there two weeks from today?”

“Jesus, Tammye, you know how I feel about readings.” DK pulled a hand through her hair.

“I know, but it’ll be good for the publisher to see you out there. Plus, you’re a local celebrity. You’ll help the bookstore, and it’s close to home.”

Dakota watched Christian cross the room and while one part of her mind noticed how long his beard was getting, the conscious part focused on the conversation. “I’m not sure I can do more than three hours of meet and greet though. Those things are tiring. What kind of appearance rate have you quoted them?”

There was a brief pause, as if Tammye was thinking. “We’ve never discussed this before, did you have something in mind?”

“I’d like to waive the appearance fee.”

Christian paused in opening the fridge to study her and silence echoed back from the phone for a couple of heartbeats.

“Okay. Can I ask why?” Tammye asked.

“They’re a small bookstore. It’s hard enough to try and make it in the bookselling business. It’s not like I need the appearance fee for travelling expenses.”

“If that’s what you want to do…”

“It is. Can you let them know?”

“Sure thing. I’ll call you with the final details, okay?”

“Thanks, Tammye.” DK disconnected and watched Christian from the corner of her eye.

“That was a nice thing to do.” He said as he opened a bottle of water.

Dakota shrugged as she put the kettle on. “It might not make much difference to the store, but then again, it’s hard to say. I didn’t see the point in cutting into their profit margin if I’m supposed to be attracting potential customers.”

 

“How’s the new book coming?” Chris asked.

“Slower than I’d like. I had envisioned working for at least six hours a day on it.” She measured loose orange blossom tea, roasted dandelion root and a small amount of dried nettle into a tea ball and dropped it into her cup. “Did you want to try some?”

“Please, it smells quite good.”

“This blend is what they call a workhorse tea. Good for energy levels, detoxing the liver, and boosting the immune system.” Dakota took another tea ball from the drawer and filled it before dropping it into a mug.

“You’ve come so much farther than I thought you would, and I’ve been an ass.” Chris said quietly.

“You slipped.” DK leaned against the counter while they waited for the kettle to boil. “Mind you, you slipped pretty far, but I know you can recover from this. You were getting healthy and fit before, once your body gets rid of all the crap you put into it, you can get there again. There’s no going back for me, but I’m moving forward as I can.” A chime from her phone interrupted her and she checked the screen.

“The Pride won their game. Ash has another clean sheet.” She said with a smile. 

“That’s good news.”

“I think the move back was the right thing for her career.” DK nodded as the kettle began to whistle. “Now, tell me, do you want to keep the beard?”  

 

**_To be continued_ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Christian knows why Hope pushed him away, do you think they can work things out?


	15. Fretting Over The Font

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota faces another dreaded reading, but things seem to be looking up! Perhaps her past will ease kindly into her future?

Two days before the reading at The Font bookstore, Dakota received an email from her cousin.

 

_ Dakota, _

_ I am between assignments right now and I’ve convinced Dad to take a few days off. As much as he ever can. So we were thinking about a visit, what is your schedule like this week? I understand there’s a respectable hotel not far from you. It’d be nice to have someone else collect my dishes and dirty sheets, lol.  _

_ I want to apologize for the way I behaved during our last visit. Maybe you and I could start over? _

_ You have my number on my card. Let me know what you’d like to do. _

_ Eldar. _

 

DK smiled a little. It would be good to get to know them both a little better. She immediately opened a reply and wrote,

_ Eldar _

_ I think I’d enjoy a visit, starting over sounds like a wonderful idea. And you could meet Ashlyn! The Regency Hotel is a very pleasant place to stay. They have a well equipped gym you should check out if you decide to stay there. I have a reading at a local bookstore in a couple of days, you and Uncle Gene are more than welcome. Normally, I hate readings, but it might be less unpleasant with family there. Ashlyn attends when she can, but readings are not something I do many of. Are you a big reader? I have a hard time going into any bookstore and not buying at least an armful of books. Let me know if you decide to come, I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. _

_ Dakota _

 

She sent the email and  leaned back in her chair. Idly she lifted her mug of tea off the desk and gazed out the window deep in thought. She wondered what exactly her cousin did.  Working in national security could mean anything. Dakota wrestled her mind back to Artemia with some difficulty. Her novel wasn’t getting finished this way.  Life as a consultant would be good to Lura, but there was an undercurrent of suspicion there.  What would happen if Lura discovered there was a darker price for her role with the Governmental Board? What if someone on the Governmental Board had a secret that they needed to keep, and space exploration was going to reveal they were a traitor to their people? Lura was a threat to their secret, and the security it provided.

Dakota turned back to her pad of paper and began to make notes.  

 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when an alarm on her cell began to chime. A glance revealed a message that said simply,  _ lunchtime EAT!  _ She chuckled a little as she realized Ash must have set the alarm for her. DK rose carefully from the chair and made her way to the kitchen. Ashlyn had been training hard with the Pride, the whole team had been putting many hours in practise. An investment already paying off as the team had yet to lose a game. Their season was still young but Dakota expected they would be a force to be reckoned with as the club matured. 

A note rested on the table top.

_ DK, _

_ I made you lunch before I left. There’s tuna salad in a bowl in the fridge, right beside the veggie sticks and hummus. The coffee pot is set if you want it, just hit the button. I’ll grab dinner on the way home, so don’t worry about that. You just work on Artemia if you want to, I know you’ve been a little stressed about the novel. You talk in your sleep. Who’s Marius? _

_ Love you babe. See you later. _

_ Ash _

Dakota took her lunch out to the veranda and happily ate in the sun.

 

When she went back to her office, she found a new email waiting for her.

_ My dear sister Dakota, _

_ By the time you read this, I will have checked into The Meadows. (I asked Eve to take me, I hope you don’t mind) It is an inpatient hospital specializing in painkiller and opioid addiction. I fear that with the pain my body is going through during the withdrawals, I need professional help to get me through the next 30 days. Once a month has passed, with the doctor's advice, we can see where I am in my recovery. _

_ I don't think I can thank you, Ashlyn, and Ali enough for rescuing me from what I was putting myself through. I wanted to believe there was a reason that Hope pushed me out of her life but as an addict, I reacted poorly and refused the see the forest for the trees. Always has been a shortcoming of mine. I feel that if I am going to fight for her, I need to be at my best. Right now is not that time and I am clearly not at my best. _

_ You have so much ahead of you in the next few months and having to deal with me and my problems is not an option. Take care of yourself and Ashlyn first. Do not worry about me. I am in good hands. Eve knows where it is should you want to visit, but just give me some time. The doctor says that the first week is going to be the hardest. _

_ I have left my credit card should you find you need anything for the wedding or really anything else. It's the least I could do to repay all you have done for me. I have already contacted my assistant, as well as paid her a handsome bonus, to apologize for my bad behavior towards her. She has always been there for me and what I put her through was very bad form on my part. _

_I will still be able to access e-mail once a day if you get stuck with your novel. I am here to help you as we agreed to that day in Washington._ _Thank you for being family. Here's to good health. For both of us._

_ Your brother, Christian _

She sighed heavily. Well, that explained why his room was so quiet and why she hadn’t seen Eve yet. Leaning back in her chair, she realized that a part of her was relieved Christian had opted for professional help. She had been in over her head when she brought him back to the States, but leaving him in England hadn’t been an option. At least now he had a better chance of getting healthy. Her cell rang, breaking her train of thought. When she answered, a confused and unfamiliar woman’s voice  was on the other end.

“Miss Undomiel, my name is Karey and I work at your bank. I’m calling to report an unusual deposit into your account.”

Dakota chuckled. “Usually banks call if there’s an unusual withdrawal.”

“Yes, Ma’am but this is rather sizable. Were you expecting a large deposit, perhaps from your publisher?”

“No. How much was the deposit?”

“Three million dollars, Ma’am.”

****

Ashlyn had brought Thai food home for dinner and set it all up out on the patio, complete with candles and table linens. They had been eating and enjoying each other’s company when Ash asked where Chris was.

“He apparently checked himself into a facility that specializes in opiate and painkiller addiction. Sounds like he wants to get healthy and try and fight for Hope at some point.”

“Really?” Ash’s eyebrows jumped in the candlelight. “Good for him. Takes a lot of guts to reach out for help sometimes.”

“I heard from Eldar today. She and my Uncle Gene want to come for a visit. Do you have anything that’ll take you away this week?”

“Nope. Other than practises and training, I’m all yours. You have that reading in a couple of days, right? Have you forgiven my mother for springing that on you?”

“Mostly,” Dakota smiled. “I think I threw her for a loop when I told her I wanted to waive the appearance fee.”

“She probably wondered why you’d turn down the money.”

“Well, she doesn’t know this, but the bank called me today to report a deposit into my account.”

“That’s unusual.” Ash said as she reached for her water glass.

“A deposit of three million dollars is a little out of the ordinary for them. They were a little concerned it was on the level.”

Ashlyn nearly dropped her glass. “Three…? Babe, you’re…”

“A millionaire now, I know. I still can’t believe it. It’s more than the trust fund papers reported, but maybe Unce Gene likes to round up.”

“Wow.” 

****

By the time the morning of the reading had come, Dakota’s stomach was in knots. She hated reading her own work aloud. Her voice sounded odd to her ears, she was convinced she was reading too fast or too slowly, and publicly she still felt like a fraud.  While she was grateful the MS  issues had receded, there were still a dozen other things to worry about. Not wanting to wake Ashlyn, DK slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. The timer on the coffee pot had started the brewing process minutes before, and Dakota was able to pour herself a cup without waiting. Even as the first sip singed her tongue, she turned toward the patio doors and flicked the heavy draperies back  to reveal a glorious  blue sky. The temperature had already warmed up and  sitting in the sun with her first cup of coffee  suddenly had great appeal. She  set her mug down and went to change.

She had sent Miranda a text to let her know she’d be on the beach, but Dakota was sure Miranda knew that already. Security cameras had been installed all over the property shortly after DK and Ashlyn had moved in. By the time Dakota got closer to the surf, two chairs were already set up and covered with towels. The woman in charge of security, herself, rested on one of the chairs.

“Good morning, Eve.”

“Morning, Miss Undomiel.”

“We’re the only ones on the beach, Eve. You can drop protocol.” DK chuckled as she lowered herself into a chair. Her head of security had dressed casually in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a black sleeveless t-shirt. Despite her relaxed demeanor, Dakota knew Eve was alert and watchful behind her dark sunglasses.   

“You’re up early this morning.” Eve observed.

“I was having a hard time sleeping. I hate readings.”

Eve sighed. “I hear you there. They’re a bit of a security nightmare now that there’s only Miranda and I.”

“Do you need to hire?” Dakota turned her head to gauge Eve’s reaction.

“Well, it would be nice to have a couple more people.” The former detective said. “Miranda and I are stretched a bit thin.”

“Really? I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

“You weren’t supposed to.” Eve smiled. “I know it’s a rare reading at a small bookstore, but think of the circumstances when we met. I’d be foolish to assume you were safe because we’re not in a major city.”

“Good point.” Dakota looked back out at the water. “Hire as many as you need, and if you need anything in equipment, just let me know and we’ll get it. Don’t restrict yourself or your staff. That trust fund I was telling you about came through. I’d rather be safe and live to see my tenth wedding anniversary, you know?”

 

“Speaking of…” came a voice behind them. “What will you need for security for the wedding?” Ash set a chair down beside Dakota and settled in.

“More people to provide perimeter watch, some sort of way to screen for weapons, cameras to watch the beach to ensure no one places anything before the ceremony.”

“This is our wedding, Eve, not an international dinner with heads of state.” Dakota objected.

“I understand that, Ma’am, but you did say you were considering inviting your mother. She  _ is _ a political figure. You are also inviting the entire national team. The country was given a great morale boost when they won the Women’s World Cup. Consider what kind of statement it might make if terrorists decided your wedding was a good way to send a message.”

“Jesus H. Christ, I’m not Stephen King! I’m a pissass little author that’s barely made a blip on the public recognition scale! No terrorist is going to target the wedding.” 

“You don’t know that for sure, Dakota.” Ash said softly. “I’d rather be safe than mourning the loss of friends and family.”

Dakota sighed heavily, knowing she’d agree if only to make Ashlyn feel more secure.

 

They stayed on the beach for another couple of hours, until Ash mentioned lunch. Then all three women decided they were hungry. While Eve went to do a perimeter check, Ashlyn offered to make lunch and DK went to make sure there were no changes to the reading that afternoon. She was pleased to find an email from Christian.

 

_ Dakota, _

_ Greetings from the land of padded rooms and night sweats. _

_ Actually, it's not even close to that, but I felt I needed to add some levity to the situation in order to keep from feeling sorry that I ended up here. _

_ I've been here three days and I am finally getting over the nausea and abdominal pains. I have a lot more freedom to move around the facility than I thought I would and everyone here is very supportive. I am in group therapy once a day and I have also been in private therapy sessions daily. It's helping tremendously. There have been many issues uncovered that I never dealt with, or just dealt with superficially. I am actually learning about myself as Christian Jones, not just as Dr. Jones the professor or Dr. Jones the engineer. I have discovered that I don't deal with solitude well and I am always trying to please others in hopes of finding lasting friendships.  _

_ You, Ash, and Ali are true friends of mine. Without you, I am sure I would be dead in my home. If I haven't said it enough, thank you for taking the chance to come to Britain and to my rescue. _

_ I have finally had a shave and a haircut, so I no longer resemble a caveman. I also have access to a Jo, so I can practice my aikido during free time or during physical therapy. My abs will be back before you know it.  _

_ Please give Ash my love and appreciation, and if you talk to Hope, please don't give her too much information. I fear she would blame herself for my state and it is absolutely not her fault. She needs to know that. She also needs to know she hasn't gotten rid of me, despite her best efforts.  _

_ Take care of yourself. _

_ CJ _

 

Smiling, Dakota opened a reply window and began to type.

 

_ Chris! _

_ I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm relieved it's going well. Sometimes unresolved issues can eat away at us until...well, you know. I won't say too much to Hope, but she does deserve to know you don't hate her. Unless you do of course. But I'm not telling her that if you do. Yes, lol, you have thanked me before for coming to 'rescue you' from yourself. It's what family does. You just focus on getting healthy. I am always here for you.  _

_ I have a reading soon, and you know how much I hate those. I'm sure I'll have all sorts to tell you when I get home. _

_ Until then, _

_ DK _

 

“Babe?” Ash stood in the office door. “Lunch is ready. I made enough, do you mind if I invite Eve and Miranda to join us?”

“I think they’ll like that. Here, come and read the email Chris sent.” Dakota pointed to her screen.

When she was done reading, Ash was smiling. “I’m so glad he’s getting better. I’ve been wondering if we did the right thing by nearly strong-arming him into coming back with us.”

“I think he would have died over there if we hadn’t. If that had happened, who knows how long it might have been until he was found.” 

“Well, it all seems to have worked out for the best. Come and have lunch.” Ash smiled and held out her hand. “You’ll want something in your stomach when you get to that bookstore later.”

 

**_To be continued_ **

 


	16. May Your Imagination Never Run Dry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakota does a meet & greet, signs more books than she thought she would and reads from Artemia. An unexpected person stands guard all the while!

**_“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”_ **

**_Albert Einstein_ **

Dakota was reading an excerpt from Artemia when she looked up, seeking out Ashlyn’s calming presence. She stood at the back of the room with a small grin on her face, flanked by Gene and Eldar. Dakota stumbled only momentarily before picking up where she had been reading.

_ “Boardmember Icarus seems to think you may be of some assistance in our quest to explore the stars. Is that true?” Asked the Board member with the purple streak in her hair. _

_ “I can make recommendations based on my experiences as a pilot. I can share with you what I know about flight in space, about ship design and to a limited capacity, propulsion. I can share my understanding of the technology used to survive on my planet until we were wiped out. If you’re asking me to quantify the extent of my knowledge that will benefit your world, I would have some difficulty. I have no way of pre-ordaining what facets of knowledge you would find useful. But I am willing to be as useful as I can.” _

_ Icarus spoke up again. “I propose that the Governmental Board officially take on Pilot Steele as a consultant, with the domestic benefits we have already bestowed, as well as a living wage. It is my belief that her insights and guidance will prove instrumental to the Paragon Exploration Project, and our evolution as a society.” _

_ “You pin much of our future on one woman, Boardmember Icarus.” Observed another man. _

_ “I am aware, Boardmember Marius. When we have listened to the voices of our ancestors in times past, we have benefitted as a people. I am proposing nothing less here today.” _

_ “Are any opposed?” The woman with the purple hair asked of her colleagues. _

_ When no one replied, she brought her hand down sharp upon the table top. “It shall be proclaimed that Pilot Lura Steele will now serve as consultant.” _

 

Dakota closed the binder and raised her eyes to speak to the packed room. “I’m going to leave off reading there. You’ll all just have to wait and get the book when it comes out if you want to see what Lura does.”

“We have time for a few questions from the floor.” Tammye spoke up.

Hands shot up, reminding DK of grade school when the teacher asked an easy question and everyone had the answer.

Dakota motioned to a woman in the front. “This young lady in the cat sweater, you have a question?”

“Your anthology, which I already have a copy of, is really unusual. Would you ever consider doing another?”

“Well,” DK shifted the microphone on the table, “I still have other unpublished short stories, so I suppose it’s an option for the future, but I will tell you they are definitely not prison themed. Sorry to disappoint.” She chuckled a little.

A young man a few rows back caught her attention and she nodded to him.

“Did you ever think you’d end up here and famous?”

“I never expected to survive prison, let alone have the opportunity to have a writing career. I wouldn’t say I’m famous though. I’m just someone who writes down the stories she hears in her head.”

Eldar raised her hand and DK grinned just a little as she acknowledged her. “Yes, Ma’am, you there in the back, you had a question?”

“Do you have any regrets, and how do they influence your writing?”

The assembled crowd, many of whom already had bought Dakota’s anthology murmured in surprise at the personal question.

Dakota canted her head. “That’s an interesting one. I suspect we all do, but in my case, I think it’s very much fueled what I write. In the anthology, those characters are based on bits and pieces of women I knew in prison, and you don’t go to a place like that without regrets. I learned from the women I shared a cellblock with, from their regrets and lives and wasted opportunities. They all influence my writing in some way. You can’t live like that without being changed by it in some way.”

Tammye held a hand up and spoke to the room. “There seem to be quite a few of you that would like your books signed, so if you could all form a line…”

DK smiled. “While you’re all doing that, I need to see to something. I’ll be right back.” Then she cocked her head to the left while she made eye contact with Ash.

 

Ash found her in the reference section. “Hey there, pretty lady, you okay?”

Dakota wrapped her arms around her and settled her forehead against Ashlyn’s breastbone. “I am now. That’s a lot more people out there than I expected.”

“I heard a few of them say they’d heard about it on Twitter, did you put that out there?” Ash replied as she held Dakota close.

“Nope. I’m glad Gene and Eldar came.”

“Yeah, they introduced themselves. I think I like them, all things considered.” Ash rubbed DK’s back as she spoke.

“Guess I’d better get back out there.”

“Lot of people waiting for you to sign their books.”

Dakota sighed and straightened up. “Do I look okay?”

“You look great.”

“And you’re biased.”

“Absolutely.” Ash grinned widely and walked DK back to the table where Eldar held the back of her chair.

“I’m helping Eve with security while you sign.” Eldar said quietly.

Ash gave DK’s shoulder a little squeeze and re-joined Gene.

“Thank you.” Dakota said to her cousin.

“No problem. We’re taking you out for steak dinner afterward if you’re up to it.”

As she reached for the thin black Sharpie, Dakota wondered what had changed her cousin’s demeanor so radically.

_******** _

Once Dakota had begun to feel the first twinges of writer’s cramp she leaned back in her chair and shook her hand out.

“You doing okay?” Eldar asked quietly beside her ear.

Dakota had almost forgotten she was there, but she nodded and turned her head toward her cousin and smiled just a little. “So is this the real you or are you really the cynical person who sat at my table?” She asked just as softly.

Eldar chuckled before answering, “This is the real me. Let’s just say I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, but we’ll talk later.”

Tammye brought a cold bottle of water and set it on the table. “Stay hydrated. You’re almost halfway done.”

DK nodded and picked up her Sharpie again as she motioned to the next person in line, a teenaged girl.

“Would you sign my book?” She asked as she held it out.

“Of course, what’s your name?” Dakota replied as she held the girl’s gaze.

“Jo. I’ve read the book at least twenty times.”

DK glanced at the edge of the pages and noticed they did look well-turned. “What do you read when you aren’t reading this one?”

“Sci-fi, a little fantasy. Escapist stuff I guess. I’ve been trying to write a couple of short stories, but…” the girl’s voice trailed away as she shrugged.

Dakota gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about how others write. Don’t worry about if your stories are any good. Write for yourself, because you want to, okay?”

The girl brightened and Dakota wrote on the inside cover of her book,

 

_ For Jo, may your pen never run out of ink and your imagination never run dry. _

_ Keep writing! _

_ Dakota Undomiel _

 

“There you go.” DK handed the book back.

“Awesome...” Jo breathed. “Thanks very much.”

“You’re welcome.” DK watched her walk off, reading the inscription as she walked. 

“Who’s next?”

_******** _

Two hours later, the manager came up to the table and announced they were completely sold out of ‘Two Miles Through Hell’ .

“Really?” Dakota was shocked. As she stood, a few people pressed forward wanting to talk to her and shake her hand. She smiled through her exhaustion, signed a few more books and shook a few more hands before finally turning to her cousin. “I’m toast. I can’t do any more.”

Eldar sought Eve out in the crowd and nodded once. “Okay, the SUV is out front.”

As they made their way toward the exit, Ashlyn and Gene joined them, as did Miranda. Only once they were in the SUV did Dakota allow her exhaustion to show.

“You alright with going out to dinner, Dakota?” Gene asked in his gravelly voice.

“I’ll be okay. Signings take a lot out of me, and I wasn’t expecting half as many people.”

Ash’s phoned chimed and she read the text aloud. “Mom says she’ll take care of things here, go and enjoy dinner. She’ll call tomorrow. So we might as well head to dinner.”

Gene gave Eve the address of the steak house and Dakota leaned her head on Ash’s shoulder.

 

_ to be continued! _


	17. The Secret of Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eldar, Gene, Ashlyn and Dakota all go out for dinner after the reading and something surprising happens.

**_“The best way to get to know someone is to have a conversation over dinner”_ **

**_Kevin Durant_ **

 

As the SUV turned into the parking lot of The Char Steakhouse, Eldar rubbed her stomach. “I hope they’re good, I’m starving.”

Ash smiled. “We like to eat here when we can. No one’s gotten food poisoning.”

As they neared the entrance, a few people nearby started to call out to Ash for pictures.

“Hey, I’ll catch up, I forgot something in the car.” Eldar abruptly turned back toward the parking lot.

DK watched Ashlyn sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans, and when she looked around, she realized Gene was standing behind a group of photographers. She was about to call out to him when an unfamiliar voice called out to her. “Dakota, how are you feeling?”

“Dakota, can we get a shot of you and Ashlyn together, maybe holding hands?”

Ashlyn smiled at a woman she had been chatting with signed one more autograph and turned toward the door. She put a hand on the small of DK’s back and guided her in. “Paparazzi,” she mumbled. “Let’s go.”

As Eve stepped closer, DK could hear her uncle’s distinctive voice.

“Young man, if you enjoy your job, you’ll never ask another personal question like that again, you hear me?”

 

Once they had been seated and ordered, Gene stroked his mustache and smiled. “Well, if the food tastes as good as it smells, I’m sure I’ll like it. I have to say, I enjoyed your reading, Dakota. Quite the gathering.”

DK nodded “I’m not fond of the crowds and that was the biggest I’ve had at a reading. I can’t believe they sold out of the book. Thank you for what you did outside, by the way.”

Gene smiled a little and patted his niece’s hand. “I wanted to rip his head off his shoulders, but you’re welcome.”

 

Eldar leaned across the table slightly and lowered her voice. “Do you think your head of security would mind if I gave her a few pointers?”

“When we met her, she was a detective up in Canada,” Ash replied. “So keep in mind, she does know a thing or two already.”

“Just some things about situational awareness, closing holes and so on. I promise not to come across all cocky.” Eldar grinned a little remembering her attitude when she and her father had visited the house.

“Did you get what you needed from the car?”

“To my knowledge, the only photos of me are family portraits, my government I.D and my dental records. I have to be other people sometimes, so I try and avoid  being caught on camera.”

“Ah, sorry.” Ash apologized.

“Sometimes it’s still hard to get used to being in the public eye,” Dakota added. “I don’t know why that guy singled me out.”

“Your name is being recognized more often, babe,” Ash took DK’s hand. “The more publicity you do for the book, the more you stand on your own. I never wanted you to be stuck in my shadow. You should be famous for your own reasons, not just my girlfriend.”

“If it comes with the creepy paparazzi, I’ll pass, thanks.”

 

“Did the money come through alright, Dakota?’ Gene rumbled.

“It did, but I think you freaked the bank employees out a little. Seemed to be a bit more than we had first discussed.”

“Funny how that happened.” Gene tried to suppress a smile. “So, Ashlyn, how are you enjoying the new team?”

“We’re all still getting used to each other, except for Alex, of course. She and I already know each other from the national team.”

As her uncle and girlfriend chatted, DK leaned across and spoke to Eldar in a hushed tone, hoping the sounds of cutlery clattering nearby would keep anyone from overhearing. “If we get a chance, I’d like to talk with you later about your work if I can.”

“There’s some parts I can’t talk about, but you ask your questions and I’ll answer what I can.”

“Fair enough.” Dakota smiled.

****

“So, you had questions?” Eldar sat in the chair Ash had previously occupied.  

“Some, yeah, I’m sure you know far more about me than I know about you.” Dakota replied.

Eldar shrugged. “Nature of the job.”

“Don’t you mean curiosity?” DK ate her last french fry and pushed her plate away.

“I had to make sure you were…” Eldar stopped to consider her choice of words.

“Worthy?” DK cocked her head a fraction. “Listen, I get it. You wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to rip off Uncle Gene.”

Eldar chuckled. “Smart. I think I like you.”

“So you work for your father, that must get dicey.”

“Sometimes,” Eldar nodded. “We have different ideas of what safety means.”

“So Uncle Gene is in the NSA and you work for him as…?”

“A security specialist.”

Dakota turned in her chair and studied her cousin silently for a few heartbeats. “You’re either trying to impress me with your vague answer or you don’t want to answer.”

Eldar shook her head. “I can’t go into exact specifics, but I promise, I’m not trying to dazzle you with bullshit. If you have questions, ask them. I’ll answer as best I can without compromising my job.” 

“What does Uncle Gene do?”

“He supervises teams of security specialists like myself, meets with others in the government and implements plans to stay ahead of those who would undermine our national security. His job falls under both the NSA and Homeland umbrellas, with a bit of CIA thrown in. Not very clear, I know, but his job has evolved beyond a simple description.”

“In a physical way or  are we talking cyber security?”

“No, Dad is almost all old school, and besides, the CyberSecurity division is different.”

Dakota nodded slightly. “So I assume you had to have some sort of specialized schooling for your job.”

“I did. I went to Georgetown University. They have a Security Studies  program there. I studied all sorts of things, from weapons proliferation, to policy theory to security challenges in other countries. I prefer domestic security.”

“Domestic, on a national level?”

“Homegrown terrorism is an ongoing problem, and takes a lot of different forms. I’ve protected infrastructure as well as high-ranking government officials and been part of a team that repelled terrorist attacks.”

Dakota watched a waiter cross the room as she asked, “So if I had a character who suddenly discovered she had a penchant for the security field, what would her life look like?”

Eldar smiled, seeing her cousin’s tactic for what it was. “Has she already done her schooling?”

DK breathed a little easier when she realized Eldar understood her tactic. “She has.”

“Well, assuming she’s already landed a job, there’s always more specialized training, more details that each mission brings into her sphere of knowledge. So a lot of her time will be spent in preparation, in skills refinement. She would always be learning. But I have to say, knowledge of situational awareness and how to respond to various threats, obvious and subtle could really save her life. The more knowledgeable and prepared she is, the better the outcomes.”

 

Suddenly Dakota’s back straightened and she gasped a little. “That’s it!”

“DK, you okay?” Ash asked from across the table.

“Sorry, yeah, I’m good. I just realized what Artemia needs. Marius, he’s the traitor! He doesn’t want them to be able to get off-planet because then they’ll discover his secret. Eldar, you’re a genius!”

Gene looked from his niece, to his daughter, to Ashlyn. “Did any of that make sense to you?”

Ash nodded. “It did. Life with a writer is never boring. Their inspiration hits at odd moments. This is nothing.  She’s been known to get inspiration in the shower, come flying out of the bathroom still nude and muttering  bits of arguments.”

Gene’s bushy eyebrows drew together and he scratched his head. “Well, that must be interesting. So, you say you have a Jeep? I have a soft spot for antique cars.” He snagged a chip from the bowl in the middle of the table as Ashlyn described her Jeep.

 

Dakota  pulled her attention away from the conversation about cars and turned back to her cousin. “I have a character who is a pilot. She’s crash-landed on a planet whose people are trying to find another habitable home in their system. Their scientists have predicted the planet will explode at a future date, so for their survival, they have to get as many off-world as they can. But they don’t know how, they’re trying to figure out the tech for that. She’s been hired to help, but along the way, any advances they make seem to be sabotaged. I can write it so Marius is the traitor, but I want Lura to come to that realization herself, slowly.”

“Wait,” Eldar held up a hand. “Lura is your pilot?”

“Yeah, she’s from another world. Her ship crashed on Artemia.”

Eldar nodded. “Okay, but who is Marius?”

“He’s on the Governmental Board. They hired Lura as a consultant. They’ve given her a smart home, provide her with food, clothes and a living wage.” Dakota replied. 

“So, you already have some of this written?”

“Yeah, but I’ve been stuck until now. I think you’ve just given me a great idea, but I don’t know how to write it so Lura can figure out Marius’ deception, or how she’s going to combat that.”

“Well, I can share with you what I learned in school, it might help.” Eldar offered.

“And maybe some of what you’ve learned on the job?” Dakota said quietly.

“What I can.” Her cousin nodded. “Understand though that there will be periods of time I won’t be available.”

“I’ll take whatever time I can get with you.” Dakota smiled.

 

“So you have a board member with a pretty big secret, for Lura to suspect something, someone or something will have to tip her off. She needs a source.” Eldar said. “Do you have someone who has a reason to be suspicious?”

“Not yet, but I certainly can. The woman with the purple streak.”

“Okay, why is Purple suspicious?”

DK laughed, “We’re going to call her Purple, are we? All right.”

“Wait!” Eldar put her hand on Dakota’s arm. “Does this planet of yours even have a defense agency?”

“Not that we know about. Lura’s only just been brought into the employ of the Governmental Board after all.”

“Okay, then you need to decide if they have one. Did you say the publisher signed you to a series?”

“This book, and a sequel.”

Eldar nodded. “So this race of yours, Artemians?”

“Right.”

“They have no need for defense services? No need for clandestine operatives? No need for country before self kind of thing, quiet patriotism, intelligence, propaganda or subversion resources? ”

“Damnit...there’s no conflict.” Dakota frowned at her water glass. She was getting tired and she’d been ignoring a growing ache in her left leg for some time, but she was invigorated by her conversation with her cousin. “How long are you in town?”

Gene smiled across the table. He and Ashlyn had stopped chatting about cars some time ago and had been watching with interest.

“I have a few more days. Can I make an observation?”

“Sure.”

“Seems to me that spy novels are still pretty popular. Is there a way to add that kind of do-or-die intensity and under current to your novel?”

“I think that would work really well if I could pull it off,” Dakota agreed. “But I’d absolutely need your help.”

“Sounds like fun,” Eldar nodded. “At least I won’t get shot at.”   

****

After dinner, they had gone back to Gene’s hotel room where Eldar and Dakota settled on one side to discuss clandestine intelligence gathering, and Gene and Ashlyn had settled on the other side to watch the re-broadcast of a soccer game. More than three hours later, Ashlyn unlocked the door to their home.

“I’m going to email Chris before I come to bed,” DK said. “I won’t be long.

“I’ll warm the bed up for you,” Ashlyn smiled and kissed her lightly.

Dakota watched her walk down the hall before she went into the den. She gave the mouse a nudge to wake the screen, opened her email program and began to type.

 

_ Chris, _

_ It’s late here, but I’ve been thinking about you on and off all day. How are you doing? Is it getting any easier? I haven’t heard from anyone on the national team, other than Pinoe. I’ve heard rumors that Abby is having a rough time. I’m going to reach out to her tomorrow.  _

_ Your assistant has emailed me briefly to report all your holdings, and flat, are fine. Any messages you want me to pass on for you? _

_ I’ve been out all day, first the reading, then dinner with my cousin and uncle. They’re okay...I think I actually like them.  They took us out to dinner to a steakhouse today that I think you’d like. The Char. When you come back this way, we’ll go out and eat flamed beef, okay?   _

_ Well, the day is catching up with me. I should get to bed. _

_ Hope you’re past the painful suffering my friend. _

_ Yours, Dakota _

 

DK sent the email, shut the light out and went to bed. As she closed her eyes she realised she was looking forward to spending time hanging out with Ash, Gene and Eldar the following day.

She sighed happily and drifted off to sleep.

 

**_To be continued_ **

  



	18. Kindred Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more bonding time with the family.

 

Plans had been made for Eldar and Gene to come by the next day. When they arrived, they found two homemade pies cooling on the table.

“Dakota!” Gene laid his hand on his niece’s shoulder, “Tell me you didn’t make these!”

“Ashlyn and I did. One is apple, the other is cherry.”

“She did make the bread, and the rolls, she wouldn’t let me help with those,” Ashlyn chimed in as she came in from the veranda.

“Wouldn’t  _ let _ you?” Eldar chuckled. “You’re telling me she rules the kitchen?”

“Your cousin is one hell of a baker.” Ash nodded. “Until the MS kicks her ass, the kitchen is her domain. When I introduced her to my old team, she went nuts baking cookies. She’s been making bread for us, and our friends when they come to town, ever since she moved in with me.”

 

Dakota was too busy pulling glasses down from the cupboard to see the look that passed between Eldar and Gene, but she knew by the heavy silence that something had changed. As she set the glasses down on the table, she glanced at her uncle, then her cousin. Gene’s eyes were wet, and he dropped his gaze to the floor before asking Ashlyn to show him her grill.

 

Once the glass door was shut behind them, he sat in one of the deck chairs and turned his hat in his hands. “How long since she’s been diagnosed?”

“I’m sorry, I thought you knew,” Ash said as she sat in a nearby chair. “We got the diagnosis not long ago. Some days are good,  some...not so good.”

Gene sniffed and cleared his throat. “I had so many chances to do right by her, and I didn’t. I can never make up for that. My brother was an unmitigated ass, and I let him come between us. Well, I suppose that’s not true. After a while,  _ I _ came between us. I wasn’t there when she needed someone to lean on. Damnit it.”

Ash reached out and laid a hand lightly on his knee. “She’s forgiven you, I can see it in the way she looks at you. Life’s too short to beat ourselves up over bad decisions. Just do better in the future.”

Gene glanced at her. “You’re pretty smart.” He rumbled.

“Yep, I’m the whole package.” Ash laughed. “Want to help me get a bunch of steaks out of the fridge?”

“Damn right I do!”

 

As Gene and Ashlyn re-entered the house, Eldar was moaning over at the island.

“Eldar? What’s wrong?” Gene rushed to his daughter’s side.

“Dad, you have to try this, take a bite!”

“A bite? What are you going on about…” His question was cut off as Eldar shoved a chunk of homemade bread, slathered in butter and preserves into his mouth. “My God, that’s good.” Gene closed his eyes as he chewed, hands resting flat on the island’s surface. After a moment, he opened his eyes. “I don’t suppose there’s more?”

Dakota laughed and passed he and Eldar both plates, each with a thick slice of bread, buttered and swathed in cherry preserves.

Ashlyn wrapped an arm around Dakota’s waist as they watched their guests chew with happy smiles. “Told you she was awesome. I have no idea what she does exactly. She’s never let me watch. All I know for sure is her bread is better than any other I’ve ever had. The preserves though, are my grandmother’s. Speaking of Gran, I should check on the baked macaroni and cheese.”

Eldar swallowed. “What exactly are we eating for dinner?”

Dakota gave her cousin a half grin. “Ashlyn’s made her grandmother’s homemade baked macaroni and cheese as a side dish, and let me tell you, it’s cheesy heaven. We’re also making grilled asparagus spears wrapped in bacon, steaks, and baked potatoes. For dessert, we’re having pie, either apple or cherry, topped with grilled peaches and ice cream. Oh, and there’s the homemade bread and preserves too.”

“And your homemade lemonade!” Ash called out as she straightened up from the oven.

Eldar eyeballed Ashlyn. “There’s no way you eat like this all the time while you look like that!”

 

DK laughed, “Hell, no! She eats like a starving bird most of the time!”

Ashlyn chuckled as she set the oven mitts on the counter. “Usually, I eat smaller meals, heavy on the greens and salads, protein shakes and lots of water. My game diet rarely allows me to eat like we will be tonight. I’ll have to work harder in the gym tomorrow, but it will be worth it tonight! Why don’t the two of you get comfortable on the veranda, Dakota and I will bring out the lemonade.”

 

Eldar waved her father through the patio door ahead of her, and happened to glance back into the kitchen before making her own exit. She saw her cousin close her eyes and lower her head just as Ashlyn wrapped her own arms around her. “You okay, pretty lady?”

DK nodded. “Just tired. I was so excited, I didn’t sleep much past four.”

Ash lifted her fiancee’s chin gently. “Dakota, don’t bullshit me. I know how much you worked getting everything ready.”

“I enjoyed it, Ash. I miss being able to throw dinner parties…”

Eldar slipped outside quietly and sat in a chair next to Gene.

 

“You know about any of it?” he asked.

“The MS, the fact that they’re obviously in love or that Dakota seems to be a natural in the kitchen?”

Gene sighed in response.

“No,” Eldar lowered her sunglasses from atop her head. “Dad, I wanted to hate her when we were here the first time. But I couldn’t. She’s a survivor, obviously a fighter. She’s risen so far above where she came from... The more I tried to hate her, the more I admired her, and by the time we left, I wanted to get to know her better.”

“And now?”

“Now, I wish I lived closer.”

Gene pushed his ballcap up a fraction so he could pin his daughter with a steely grey-blue gaze. “I want you to find out how she’s really feeling. How far progressed the disease is, if they need anything. Don’t piss her off though, I have a feeling she’s more like you than you may realize.” 

“Is this a request from my father or an order from my case officer?” Eldar replied.

“Both.”

***

Gene pushed his plate away later with a groan. “If I eat one more bite, my eyes will be pop out of my head and there will be cherries in their place!” 

Eldar rose and began to collect plates. “I haven’t eaten that well since Thanksgiving.”

“You don’t have to do that, I can get it.” Dakota began to object.

“After a meal like that, this is the least I can do. Let me help.” Eldar waved off her objections. “I do have a favor to ask though, would it be too intrusive to ask to see where you write?”

“Seriously?”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Eldar replied as she rinsed the plates before loading the dishwasher. “I bought a copy of your book yesterday. I’d love to be able to show it to my team and tell them that I saw the office of my famous cousin the author.”

DK made a dismissive snort. “I’d hardly say I’m famous, but all right,” she struggled to get up gracefully, finally giving up and sinking back down.

“Dakota?” Eldar stood beside her chair, unsure if an offer of help would be welcomed or rebuffed.

Ashlyn knelt beside the chair and laid a hand on her girlfriend’s forearm. “There is no shame in admitting you need help, babe,” she murmured. “Let me help you down the hall.”

Dakota nodded and Ash stood and offered her arm at the same moment that Eldar did the same on her other side. Dakota looked from one to the other, then across the table to her uncle.

He raised one eyebrow slowly at her. “You going to accept their help or continue to be a stubborn ass?”

She sighed heavily before reaching up and grasping both their arms. “At least when I’m being a stubborn ass, everyone knows what family I belong to.”

 

Once she got her legs under her, Dakota was able to make it down the hall, which relieved her considerably.

“You know you’ve been photographed with your cane recently, right?” Eldar asked. “Why don’t you use it?”

“I have?”

“The airport.” Ash said with a grimace. “Let me get it for you, DK. There’s no shame, remember? I promise not to tell Hope.”

Dakota chuckled. “Deal.”

Ashlyn turned to Gene and Eldar. “Would you like a tour of the house and grounds once we get her cane?”

As they left the room, Eldar asked, “Hope?”

Ash nodded as they made their way down the hall. “When Dakota and Hope first met, it was...interesting. It seems our friends had told Hope all about DK. As we were all having a beer together, she made a comment that she was pretty sure Dakota could kill her with a straw. It became a thing. They got pretty close after the shooting.”

“Hope Solo, the badass brunette of the national team? The one with the death glare and checkered past? She’s friends with my cousin?”

DK chuckled to herself as she listened to the conversation. Her gaze fell on a framed photo of she and Hope sparring. She hadn’t been a very good friend. Hope hadn’t stopped needing a friend, and Dakota missed her. 

 

No sooner had she resolved to contact Hope before another twenty four hours passed, than her email program announced the arrival of a message from Christian. 

 

_ Dakota, _

_ Things are moving along nicely here. I am coming to terms with my long-standing demons and I am making, as my therapist would say, "steady progress". If all goes well, I may be able to leave after the standard 45 days. In all honesty, I am very lonely here. There are not many friendships to be had with such a small facility as this, so your correspondence is what is keeping me going forward. _

_ I read about Abby's issues. I am proud of her for owning up to her mistake. Not many people are strong enough to do that. I haven't heard anything from Hope or any of the team, but I don't expect to. None of them, other than Ash, know I am even in this place. Probably best to keep it that way, I am not sure anyone would understand a demon such as this, but I have been wrong before. _

_ I am thrilled you are getting along with your out of the woodwork family members. Family is most important and I am glad that there is a light out of the darkness for you in that respect. _

_ How was the reading? I heard that there was going to be a live stream of it on the web, but I couldn't convince my shrink that it would be good for my mental health to watch it. Restrictions on internet time and everything. Hopefully, it will be on YouTube and I can watch whenever I check out of here. I trust that it went well, otherwise your message would have been much longer. _

_ I do miss a good steak. _

_ Your brother, _

_ CJ  _

 

Dakota smiled and typed out a reply.

 

_ Chris, _

_ I'm so glad to hear that you're doing better. Have you given any thought to coming back here when you are released? I miss your dry humor and sharp wit.  _

_ Live stream of my reading?? Dear Gods... I had no idea. You and I could perhaps watch it together one day. I've been considering making lemonade from scratch. If I don't kill Gene and Eldar with it, I'll make it for you. Maybe we can have a 'viewing party'. _

 

_ So, since you sound better, let me tell you about dinner last night. _

_ My cousin seems pretty sharp once she lets her guard down. We talked around what she does for my uncle, and what my uncle does. We couldn't discuss anything specific, but when she ‘talks between the lines’, it's very much like looking into a mirror. My uncle seemed amused by the whole thing. He and Ash have a bit in common. They were talking cars for quite a while. Ash seems to like him, despite her initial  resolve to stay above that in case I got hurt. When we were going into the steakhouse, there were paparazzi. One of them yelled out a question, harmless, but personal, I thought. How was I feeling? At the time, I mostly ignored it, but it was when he called out for Ash and I to pose for pictures. On one hand, fairly innocent, but on the other, it really bothered me. Uncle Gene vaguely threatened his job, but I have no idea how that played out. Being treated like meat by people sniffing for a photographic tidbit bothers me, it felt pretty slimy. _

_ Eldar says there have been increasing questions and pictures in the entertainment media about the cane. I wonder if I'll have to tell the publisher about the MS and renegotiate the timing of the book? _

  
  


_ Anyway, you hang in there, brother. I want to see you healthy again. You have to show me some of those training moves you were talking about before. _

_ Next time, I'll tell you about some of the secrets and tension I'm adding to the book. _

_ DK _

 

In less time than it took DK to find and open a file she wanted to show her cousin, a reply came back.

 

_ Dakota, _

_ My therapist thinks it would be a good idea to be around people who can keep an eye on me. I know with your own struggles, I might be a burden to you. If you can tell me truthfully that I wouldn't be and you could help me on a day to day basis, I would like to stay with you and Ash at the beach house. Only if you can handle it. If not, I can go home to stay with my mother for a little while. _

_ Homemade lemonade? Has to be better than the liver cleanse, right? Speaking of, if you thought that was bad, try the stuff they are giving me here. It tastes just as bad and then they throw kale into it. It's the superfoodshitinaglass that you have always dreamed of. Yuck! _

_ You are in the public eye now. You are engaged to a USWNT player, you are famous for some of the right and some of the wrong reasons. I wouldn't expect that the paparazzi is going to get any less interested in your life. If it is possible, just don't give them anything to feast on. When they are starved out, they go looking for another source to feed their stupid appetites. You may need to have a discussion with your security detail to find out if there are better ways to avoid them. I am sure your family could be a help with this as well. _

_ If your publisher wants the book bad enough, they will wait. I've made mine wait for two years now. You are established enough that you can almost make them do what you want. They work for you, not the other way around. _

_ I am willing to show you some Aikido moves and we can use your cane as a weapon! _

_ As dry-witted as always, _

_ CJ _

****

Eldar shut the binder and leaned back into the soft leather of the sofa. “How are you going to be able to pull the rest of your wedding together in the short time remaining if your friends are scattered all over the country?”

Dakota and Eldar had been holed up in the office for a couple of hours, at first talking about Artemia. But after awhile, Eldar had started asking about the wedding. DK had shown her the binder, and Artemia had been set aside.

“Persistence,” Dakota replied. “If I want to be married according to our original plan, I’ll have to do it. I don’t want a wedding planner, so I have no choice but to get it done.”

“I understand your stubbornness,” her cousin replied. “We share that. But I don’t think you’re going to be able to convince your disease to take a back seat to your wedding. Then what?”

Dakota looked out the window and frowned. “The only other choice I have is to cancel it, or put it off until next year, and I don’t want to do that.”

 

Eldar shifted on the sofa and pulled one foot up under her. “Ash told me about Hope joking you could kill her with a straw, and I get that with what I know about your time in prison. It’s funny, because everyone sees her as a badass.”

“On the pitch, she is.” Dakota replied.

“I’m glad you gave me a chance after I was such an ass to you when we met.”

“Eldar,” DK began.

“No, hold on, let me finish, okay?” Eldar held up a hand to stall her. “You and I are far more alike than what you know just yet, and I want you to understand that what I’m about to tell you is said with concern, okay? I’m honestly not meddling.”

Dakota waited.

“I genuinely like you, and even if we weren’t related that would still be true. I’m concerned for you though. I can see Ashlyn loves you, but how do you cope with the MS when she’s gone? Stubbornness will only get you so far. When are you going to accept that you may need to hire help?”

“I don’t want my life to become about every flare up and symptom. You saw what those paparazzi did, we let someone come in to help and eventually our lives will be a circus sideshow!” 

“Do you think the President goes out for his doctor’s appointments? He has medical staff that come to him. You don’t see any of them blabbing to the tabloids. It  _ is _ possible to find someone qualified to help that can keep secrets, Dakota.” Eldar got up and sat at the other end of the sofa. “You don’t have to be tough, it’s okay to admit you need help. You don’t need to keep up some sort of badass persona with me. Tell me honestly, will you know when you need more help than Ashlyn can give?”

Dakota sighed and nodded. 

“And will you admit when you need help, or are you going to try and push through it alone, and run the risk of really hurting yourself one day that Ashlyn can’t be here?” Eldar reached out and laid her hand on Dakota’s knee. “I’d love to help you out, but you and I both know that with the distance involved, and the nature of my job, that’s not likely to happen often. So let me help you find someone you can trust, that’s qualified and close by. I have connections, remember?” Eldar finished with a smile, hoping to cushion her words.

Dakota returned the smile with a small one of her own. “Let me talk to Ash about it, and I’ll let you know.”

“Fair enough,” Eldar nodded.

“So, I wanted to give you something…” Dakota turned back to the desk and opened a drawer. “It’s actually for both you and Uncle Gene, but I wasn’t sure if your job had scheduled…away times.” She handed Eldar an invitation.

Eldar read the details and chuckled. “Missions aren’t scheduled, but for my cousin’s wedding, I’d crawl back from a terrorist stronghold if I had to. Don’t worry, as long as I’m not captive in a third-world cave somewhere, we’ll be there.”

“You’d better not get taken captive. MS or not, I’ll come and kill them with a straw and confirm Hope’s suspicions.”

Eldar smiled, and they both looked up as the office door opened and Gene stuck his head in. “Hey, there you are. What have you two been up to?”

 

Ash followed Gene into the room and leaned on the desk while Gene sat beside his daughter on the sofa. 

“We were just talking about the wedding, Dad,” Eldar held out the invitation. “Look, we’ve been invited! So in a few months, I’m not taking on any new work. Think you can convince your cronies to leave alone then so we can come back to Florida?”

“Damn straight they will. I’m coming to my niece's wedding.” Gene rumbled with a small smile. It’s getting late, we should head back to the hotel and let these two sleep. You may need to drive though. I think I’ve eaten too much to fit behind the wheel of that rental car. It was too small  _ before _ I ate all that food.”

 

With Ashlyn’s help, Dakota stood and they walked  Gene and Eldar to the door. “Hey, there’s an open practise tomorrow afternoon, would you like to come?” Ash asked them.

“I’ve never been to one of those in person.” Gene replied. “Can I assume you’re going, Dakota?”

“Of course.” 

“Have to break the new team in and get them used to her knitting and baking.” Ash laughed.

“You have to be there early, I assume?” Gene asked.

Ash nodded.

“We’ll come and get you then, Dakota. What time, Ashlyn?” Eldar turned to her soon-to-be-family-member.

“Starts at one. I’ll have reserved seats for the three of you.” Ashlyn turned to DK. “Like I did for The Spirit.”

Eldar and Gene said goodnight, and took their leave.

 

As they watched them drive down the street, Ashlyn said she wanted to let Eve know their plans for the following day.

“I’ll check my email while you do that.” Dakota turned away from the door.

“Do you need me?” Ash asked.

“I’ll always need you, Harris.” DK whispered and ghosted Ashlyn’s lips with her own. “Don’t be long, I’ve been looking forward to wrapping my naked body around yours all day.”

Ashlyn’s eyes got wider and she swallowed. “Since you put it that way…”

DK chuckled softly and kissed her again before turning and making her way slowly back to the office.

****

Not long after Ashlyn left the next morning, Dakota was up and pouring her coffee. She took multiple long cellophane-wrapped rolls from the fridge, set them on the counter and took her cup outside. The sun was still rising into a clear sky and it promised to be a stunning, if warm, day for the practise. It took some self-discipline, but Dakota sat with as clear a mind as she could manage and watched the world around her come to life. By the time her mug was empty, she was ready to take on her day.

 

She put music on in the living room, turned it to a reasonable level and retrieved her baking pans. By the time Eldar was pulling into the driveway, tubs of cookies sat waiting on the island.

Eldar knocked once and let herself in when she heard a reply. “Hey, you need help getting...holy shit, Dakota! What the hell?”

“Ash wasn’t exaggerating.” DK grinned. “I could use a hand getting all these outside.”

Eldar shook her head, and picked up a stack of containers. “Jesus…” When she came back in with her father in tow, she gestured to the still-full island. “See? I wasn’t bullshitting you, Dad.”

“Good Lord, Dakota. Are you feeding the entire staff?”

“Can I help?” Eve asked from the doorway.

“Thank goodness, reinforcements! If we each grab a stack, we might be able to make it in one more trip.” Eldar replied.

Eve laughed. “I remember the day we met the Washington Spirit. I think there was twice the amount of cookies then.”

With many hands, light work was made of packing the car, and they were off in no time.

****

In the locker room, there were more new faces with The Pride than there had been in Washington, but Dakota shook hands with them all and encouraged everyone to have as many cookies as they wanted. It came as no surprise to Ash that the cookies were a hit, and she made sure Dakota knew where the reserved seats were before she took the field. DK had kept a tin of cookies back and passed it to her uncle before taking her knitting needles out of her bag.

“What are you doing there?” Gene eyed the four thin metal needles as he passed the cookie tin to Eldar. 

“Making socks for Ash. She doesn’t normally like wearing them, so I’m making them as thin as possible. Today is a good day to work on black socks with the sun as bright as it is.”

“Can I see that?” Eldar asked. “You could kill a man with one of these,” she mused.

“It might throw the medical examiner for a loop,” Dakota nodded. “But I’d do it with a 2.75 mm steel to the neck.”

Gene and Eldar went silent and regarded her with some hesitation.

“What? I’m a writer. It’s part of my job to come up with stuff like this.” Dakota laughed.

“Get you trained, you’d be one hell of a spy.” Gene rumbled before turning to watch the action on the pitch.

“Damn. Ashlyn is one lucky woman, does she know that?” Eldar asked.

Dakota shook her head in denial. “I’m the lucky one.”

 

To be continued...

  
  
  
  
  



	19. Four Months

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good surprise, an awkward surprise and Christian makes a new friend.

****

“Dakota, did you make coffee and come back to bed?”

“Huh? No, I was sleeping…”

“I’m sorry, go back to sleep.”

“Ash? What’s wrong?”

“Did you set the coffee pot on automatic?”

“No. Did you?”

“No.”

“Then why am I smelling coffee brewing?”

“That was going to be my next question.” Ash threw the covers back and rolled out of bed. She padded on silent feet and reached behind the door, grasping the neck of a wooden baseball bat.

Dakota rolled out of bed and reached toward her. “Maybe we should just call the police. What if it’s Rena, she did say she’d come back for me...”

Ash turned back and smiled reassuringly. “I doubt Rena would make us coffee, babe.” 

Barefoot and curious, they both padded toward the alluring scent of coffee wafting from the kitchen. There was someone standing in the open fridge door, muttering.

Ash smiled and lowered the baseball bat. “If you’re hot, we can turn the air conditioner up, Chris.”

Christian turned with a smile, which faltered a little when he saw the make-shift weapon. “Surprise?”

“You big dope, I was ready to brain you!” Ash shook her head, before hugging him. “Good thing I didn’t come out here naked!”

“I’ll do my best to keep that image from entering my mind,” Chris grinned.

Dakota stepped forward for a hug as well, sighing as she felt Chris’ arms go around her. “I’m glad you’re here, I missed you. Why didn’t you tell us you were getting out?”

“I made coffee, sit down and let me pour.” Chris replied. As he filled their mugs, he explained, “I wanted to surprise you, so I contacted Eve. She came to get me, very early this morning and here I am! So, I imagine quite a bit has happened that you didn’t tell me about in your emails, what’s new?”

 

Just then Hope came padding down the hall in a cut off t-shirt and very short sleep shorts, and nothing else.

“Harris, after keeping me up all night playing cards, that better be really strong coffee,” She stopped abruptly as her gaze fell on Christian standing beside the table with the coffee pot in his hand. “Oh, bloody hell…”

****

That afternoon, Hope found Dakota alone in the kitchen making kneading bread dough. “Do you ever get tired of that?”

“What, baking?”

“Yeah.” Hope replied as she sat down at the table.

“Nope.” DK turned the dough in the bowl, being sure to catch the flour that rested on the side. She glanced at her dark-haired friend who was glowering at the table-top. “I didn’t set this up, Hope. I didn’t know he was coming today.”

Hope sighed and sat back in her chair, crossed her arms and frowned at a sunbeam cutting across the floor. “I know. It’s hard seeing him again, that’s all. I still feel bad for treating him that way. I’m supposed to be better than that. Earlier, you said something about him getting out, where was he?”

Dakota covered the bowl to let the dough rest and washed her hands. Then she crossed the room to sit opposite Hope. “That’s not my story to tell. You’ll have to ask him.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It is,” DK nodded “But if it were you in his position, I would have the same answer. You need to talk to him, Hope. I want both of you here, and I still want you both at the wedding. I don’t like seeing my friends hurt.”

Hope glanced up briefly before returning her gaze to the sunbeam. “I still have feelings for him, Undomiel. What am I supposed to do about those? I hurt him, I know that much, but how do I make it up?”

Dakota thought for a few moments before replying. “Apologize and tell him the truth. He’s gone through a lot in the past little while and I think it’s given him a sense of perspective. Tell him exactly what Jerramy did. Tell him why you pushed him away. If you still have the text, show him. Honest discussion will go a long way, Hope.”

****

Ash found Chris outside with his tablet, a blueprint of something she couldn’t quite understand on the screen with his fingers moving quickly over the picture.

“Speak if you’re going to speak,” he said without looking up.

“First off, I had no idea you were coming, and neither did Hope. She’s recovering from an injury and wanted to spend some time away from Seattle. This wasn’t a setup or anything. Please don’t be angry with DK or I.”

Chris sighed, put down his work and looked up, motioning Ash to sit down. “I know, Ash. Maybe before I would have gone out of my tree when I saw her, but now I just feel differently. I feel more calm, able to work out my feelings before I say anything I am going to regret.” 

 

“So how do you feel now? 45 days in isolation had to have been tough. I see you’re back at work.”

“I am definitely more clear now. I was trying to kill myself slowly, I realize that now. I have a very hard time dealing with any real feelings and my response to ones I didn’t understand was to run or retreat into a bottle. I thought I had gotten past that, but obviously it wasn’t the case. I had just poured myself into work so I wouldn’t have to deal with people. Now that I have you and Dakota, not to mention my mother and sister, I can’t do that anymore.”

“So… I guess the elephant in the room has to be addressed.”

 

“Hope is here as well, I know. I am just not sure if I am ready to talk to her. I don’t know what you know, but I felt like she and I shared a connection. I know you can’t tell a ton from one date, but we stayed at that restaurant for nearly five hours talking like we had known each other forever. We even let our guard down enough to have a small goodnight kiss.”

“Wait, Solo  _ let _ you kiss her?”

“Yes, why is that so surprising?” he said, with a mixture of incredulousness and triumph. “Anyways, how do you go from  _ that _ to ‘I’m broken, you don’t want me’? It seems like such a cop out.”

“Hope is…complicated. There are things you might not know, Dr. Chris.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I think you need to talk to Hope about it. Not my story to tell you, but you should talk to her. Be honest about your feelings. She is going to wonder where you have been for the last month or so, so you can choose to tell her or not, but you should at least give her a chance.”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to see. With both of us under the same roof, at least it will be quiet for the time being.”

****

Dakota pulled the lounge chair closer to Ash’s in the shade of the veranda before lowering herself into it.

“Not into tanning today?”

“Not right now.” Dakota pulled her bag over and pulled a half completed sock out. She settled into silence as she worked the thin metal needles in and out of the loops of yarn as thin as hair.

Ashlyn didn’t know how to knit socks, but she knew there were two sections that Dakota needed her full concentration. At a glance, she knew the current sock was at neither of those stages. “They’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know, they’re both stubborn.”

“I talked to Chris, tried to get him to talk to her.”

Dakota nodded as she kept her eyes on the knitting. “I talked to Hope.”

“You going to be okay with them like this while I’m away?” Ashlyn reached out and tucked a strand of dark hair behind Dakota’s ear.

“I think so. Don’t worry about us, just focus on getting a clean sheet.”

“Don’t overdo things, okay? You know they’ll both help if you ask.” Ash studied the side of her fiancee’s face. “You look a little strained today. Too much company this month?”

Dakota lowered her needles and peered out at the landscape. “No, I don’t think so. I feel...off.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

“Sweetheart,” DK let her knitting fall to her lap so she could reach out and take Ashlyn’s hand. “You can’t call in every time I don’t feel right. We moved down here so you could take this opportunity. You were among the first five players the Pride asked for, that’s a big deal. Go away with the team, beat Boston, hang out with Whitney and come home victorious.”

Ash nodded, but she didn’t look happy about agreeing. They sat there holding hands in the shade until it was time for Dakota to go in and finish the bread.

***

Dinner was a stilted and awkward affair. Attempts at conversation fell flat and eventually stopped completely. Once she was done, Hope complimented the meal, put her plate in the dishwasher and escaped to her room. Ashlyn followed suit and went to pack for the trip to Boston. Finally, only Dakota and Chris remained at the table.

“Christian, when are you going to talk to her? You’re both uncomfortable and things aren’t going to get better until the two of you clear the air.”

“What would I say?” Chris rose and took their plates to the sink.

“You could just ask her how she’s been.” DK watched him from across the room. “You could ask how the Reign is doing, or ask how she got hurt. Hell, talk about the weather! But this silence is getting no one anywhere.” Dakota pointed to the plate where  the remaining half of the bread lay. “A loaf of bread needs to be worked, developed, and so does a friendship. And even if the two of you never get back to where you were, wouldn’t you at least like to be friends with her?”

Christian stood staring out the kitchen window over the sink. “Right now, I am not sure.”

“Fair enough.” Dakota stood and pushed her chair in. “You need to decide soon, before the opportunity to repair this slips away. Because ignoring it, will not fix it.” And with that, she left the room.

 

She went to check on Ash first and found her talking on the phone with her brother while she packed. She kissed Ash’s cheek lightly and went to the office to write. But with her thoughts whirling, the words she needed would not come, so she gave up for a short while and retreated into her email. One in particular caught her eye and she opened it first.

 

_ Dakota, _

_ I wanted to let you know that I just received the invitation to your wedding, five minutes ago in fact, and I would be thrilled to attend! You say your wedding party is wearing white with red highlights, and that I should dress comfortably, as it to be held on the beach. But your included note with the details for the rehearsal dinner...would it be presumptuous to understand this to mean you want me in your wedding party? _

_ Mother _

 

Dakota could almost hear her mother quivering with excitement through her email. She chuckled as she opened a reply.

 

_ Mother, _

_ It would mean a great deal to me if you could join us. I intend to get married only once, so feel free to embrace the ‘mother of the bride’ role, Ashlyn’s mother certainly is! I’ve included her contact information at the bottom of this email so that you and she can introduce yourselves. She has heard a little about you, and is interested in making your acquaintance before the big day. Most rehearsals are dressed up affairs, but we will be getting married on a beach without shoes, so ours will be equally as casual.  _

_ I hope Montana can be without you for a couple of days. I’d like the chance to sit and get to know this new you. _

_ Dakota _

_ To be continued _

  
  
  



	20. Like Pinched Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eldar finally meets Christian, Hope gets jealous and pizza!

 

Ashlyn rose early the next morning before Chris, Hope or the sun, was even up. She kissed her girlfriend gently on the cheek before pulling away.

Dakota rolled over and said, “Let me get up and I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Morning, pretty lady. I tried not to wake you.” Ash sat on her side of the bed and brushed Dakota’s hair away from her eyes

“You didn’t. I’ve been drifting in and out of sleep for awhile now.”

“Go back to sleep, you don’t have to get up for me.”

“I want to.” Blue-grey eyes blinked.

Ash took one of DK’s hands and kissed her knuckles. “Know that I mean this with love, okay?” She waited until Dakota nodded before continuing. “You don’t look good, babe, and if I didn’t  _ have to _ go away, I would cancel. You said you didn’t feel right yesterday, and you don’t look like you slept much. So roll over and sleep as much as you can today. Chris and Hope know where everything is.”

Dakota agreed without argument, only cementing Ash’s suspicion that her lover was ill. She smiled reassuringly and kissed her cheek once more. “I’ll call you tonight.”

“‘Kay. Tell Whit I said hi.” Dakota mumbled as she fell half into sleep once more.

When her eyes opened again, it was noon.

 

She shuffled into the kitchen rubbing sleep out of her eyes, still in her pajamas.

“Good afternoon.” Christian spoke up from in front of the sink. 

Dakota grunted and shot him a half-assed smile. “Pass me a straw long enough to fit into the coffee pot, would you?”

He reached up into the cupboard and pulled down the mug with her name on it. “This is the one Ali bought you, isn’t it?”

“Thank you. It is. Also the largest one I currently own.”

“I thought as much, you look like you need a large infusion this morning.”

“Ash all but said I looked like shit earlier. Do I look that bad?” DK filled her mug and replaced the pot.

“Sorry to say, but yes. You do look a bit pinched today.” Chris replied. 

“Hmm.” Dakota eyed his sleeveless t-shirt and boardshorts. “You look like you were sitting outside in the sun.”

“I was. Care to bring your coffee outside and join me?”

DK nodded. “Good idea.”

 

Once they settled into lounge chairs, Chris asked, “I haven’t seen Eve so far yet today. Did she take Ash to the airport?”

“No, she’s gone to assess the beach where we’ll be holding the wedding. I expect we’ll see her a little later.”

They settled into comfortable silence for a few minutes then, each happy to bask in the sun.

“I was going to the shops a little later, is there anything you need?” Christian asked as he slipped his sunglasses on.

“I was going to make pizza for supper. I don’t think we have any black olives and I know Hope likes them, other than that, whatever you’d like to get.” Dakota replied.

“How is Artemia going?”

“Better now. Lura has discovered that all the attempts to get off-planet haven’t just failed, but been sabotaged. So she’s trying to figure out who’s behind it without tipping her hand.”

“Really? That’s brilliant.”

“I was talking with Eldar the night of the reading and it came to me. She and I worked on the idea after dinner. The story is really racing along now. In fact, by tomorrow, I’m going to need to pick your brain on magnetic shielding.”

“I have nothing planned for tomorrow but some aikido in the gym.”

“Good.” DK replied before nearly draining her mug. “I’m glad you’re getting healthier, Chris. We were really worried about you.”

“Thank you for coming to get me. You likely saved my life.”

“Pfft, you saved me, I saved you...it’s what family does. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a shower and write for a little while. Let me know when you get back, okay?”

Christian nodded. “Indeed.”

****

“So, if I understand correctly, Mr. Jureo, NASA hopes this propulsion system will enable longer-range missions into space?” Dakota spoke out loud as she scribbled notes.

“Exactly,” a voice affirmed from the speakerphone. “By ionizing xenon gas, our onboard propellant, we can use less and increase thrust by more than double.”

“And I’m assuming once all the kinks are worked out, this would allow for increased transportation? Farther and faster, that sort of thing?”

“That’s our plan,” the associate administrator replied from Washington. “This sort of propulsion should allow for manned missions to Mars, and possibly beyond.”

“And the power needed to trap these electrons, that will be solar power?”

“Yes, it’s all part of the ongoing solar electric propulsion project. I see no reason why something similar wouldn’t work in your novel.”

“Thank you very much for explaining it to me until I understood. I didn’t mean to take so much of your afternoon.”

“My pleasure Miss Undomiel. Call anytime.”

 

Dakota disconnected the call, and rose, albeit stiffly, from the desk. She picked up the sketches and notes she’d made during the conversation and went looking for Christian.

“Chris, are you back yet? I wanted to ask you about solar arrays,” she called out as she went toward the kitchen.

“Well, I know nothing about solar arrays, but can I get a hug?” someone said from the table.

“Eldar!” DK replied with a start. “When did you get here?”

Eve chuckled from around the corner of the kitchen. “I wanted to surprise you, Miss Undomiel. I had asked your cousin if she would accompany me to the beach for the security check. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

DK beamed. “It’s a wonderful surprise, thank you, Eve. Would you like to join us in a glass of lemonade?”

“I should relieve Miranda, but thank you for the offer.”

“Do you know if our resident Brit is back yet?”

“His car was absent when we pulled in.” The former detective replied as she opened the door to leave.

“Okay, thanks, Eve.” 

“Wait,” Eldar held up a hand. “You have your friend living here too? The one that I thought was a terrorist when I first met you?”

“Yes, and Hope is here too.”

“Get out.” Eldar crossed her arms and shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

 

DK let a sly grin cross her features. “Hey, Solo!” she called loudly. “You sleeping?”

Silence answered her for a minute as the two women sipped their lemonade.

As a minute became two, Eldar shook her head again. “I knew you were puttin’ me on…”

“Swear to God, Undomiel, it’s a good damn thing we’re friends, because...oh, sorry, I didn’t know you had company.” Hope verbally backpedalled as she came into the kitchen.

“You weren’t sleeping, were you? Sorry...I wanted to introduce you to my cousin, Eldar Undomiel. Eldar, this is Hope.”

“No way is my father going to believe I met Hope ’Badass of the National Team’ Solo. It’s a real honor.” Eldar shook Hope’s hand.

“Is that what people are calling me?” Hope smiled. “I feel like I know you already, Undomiel talks about you often. I feel a little weird saying that…” she laughed.

“Hope is the only person I let call me by my last name.” DK explained as she got another glass out and filled it from the pitcher. “Eldar, you’ll stay for supper right? I’m making pizza.”

“As long as terrorists don’t invade Washington, Florida or Montana, I wouldn’t miss it!”

“Pizza?” Hope pulled out a chair and joined them at the table. 

“Yes, we’ll have black olives by then.” Dakota smiled.

 

“So, you live in Washington, right?” Hope asked. “Too bad the two of you didn’t meet while she and Harris still lived there.”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Eldar agreed. “So Dakota tells me you’re standing with Ashlyn at the wedding?”

Hope nodded. “I am. I pulled a muscle during my last game, so I thought I’d recuperate here and help settle a few more details for the wedding while Harris is away.”

Eldar turned to DK. “I was going to ask where your blonde bombshell was!”

“An away game in Boston.” Dakota replied. Whit said she found the perfect rings, so if they’re as great as they looked in the pictures, Ash will be bringing them back with her.”

“Whit is?” Eldar looked confused.

“Whitney Engen. She’s standing with Ash as well. Her best friend from her university days.”

“One of our former national team-mates.” Hope added. “A shame she didn’t make it  this year.”

“Ah.” Eldar turned back to her cousin. “Go grab your wedding binder and show me what I can help with.”

The three women were still hunched over wedding plans when Christian opened the door and came in carrying bags from the grocery store.

“Oh, hello.”

Chris looked over the room where two of the three faces had smiles on their faces and one with a nervous one.

“So I got everything you asked for, Dakota,” he said, cutting through the awkward silence. “Onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs and a ton of meat for me.”

“Wonderful, thank you. Christian, this is my cousin, Eldar.”

Chris approached the woman with a little trepidation, knowing she was the one who triggered a look over his finances and his affiliation with his beloved football team. However, he felt if DK trusted her and liked her, he could learn to like her as well. Instead of extending his hand, he pulled her into a tight hug, surprising her. “It’s good to meet you.”

Eldar patted him on the back a little stiffly, but chuckled as she pulled back. “Dakota, you could have warned me he was cuter than his picture!”

DK shot her cousin an odd look. “Um, okay. Need I remind you that he’s my brother in every way but DNA?”

Eldar laughed. “I have eyes, geez. Seriously, Christian, it’s good to meet you. I want to apologize for that  financial investigation, before.”

“I would assume you were just doing your job, but if you want to know anything about me, all you need to do is ask and I will tell you,” Chris said, sorting the last of the groceries. “Eldar, has anyone ever told you that you look like Olivia Wilde?”

 

Hope’s eyebrows rocketed straight up to hear Chris respond so casually, so smoothly. Where was the embarrassed bashfulness she had been so frequently witness to?

 

Eldar smiled. “Well, no, actually. But thank you for saying so.”

Chris smiled back, almost forgetting Hope was in the room, before collecting himself.

“Well, I am going to go practice my forms before dinner. Dakota, if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” 

Chris left the kitchen and retrieved his staff from the guest room and walked out to the beach before stripping off his shirt and shoes to practice his aikido in the warm sand.

 

Dakota watched both Hope and Eldar get up and go to the patio door. She knew what they were watching, she had seen  Chris shirtless before. She shook her head a little, knowing things could get complicated, and interesting.

“So, um, not to distract you both from drooling all over the glass, but now that the beach has cleared the security check…”

“Beach?” Eldar murmured without tearing her eyes from the view in front of her. “Oh! The beach! Yeah, sorry…”

Hope said nothing at first, but when she came back to the table, she was quieter. 

 

As Chris went through his basic forms and then moved on to some more of the advanced movements, he could feel eyes on him. He felt embarrassed by it and moved down the beach, out of sight. Aikido was his way of centering himself and he felt unbalanced when he felt he was being watched.

 

“So, Dakota, is the good doctor seeing anyone that you know of?” Eldar asked nonchalantly.

“Well, that’s an interesting question.” Dakota replied, trying very hard not to look at Hope. “I don’t think he’s dating anyone right now. Are you interested?”

“I might be.” her cousin replied.

“Sorry, I need to go lie down.” Hope mumbled.

Eldar and DK watched her leave the room. “Was it something I said?” The security expert asked.

“Long, confusing story. So the beach looks good then?”

 

Dinner was a mixture of DK, Chris, and Eldar talking about Artemia and some of the finer points of the security business and Hope’s standoffish silence. 

_ Who is this new Christian and how is he so eloquent now?  _ Hope thought to herself, remembering the date they had when it took him nearly two hours to come out of his shell. 

She had to contain herself when Eldar would put her hand on top of Christian’s or touch him as they talked and laughed like old friends. Dakota felt like she was in the middle of a brewing storm as they finished the last of the delicious homemade pizza. 

“Well, I am going to take my nightly walk on the beach,” Christian said.

“You know, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll join you,” Eldar replied with a smile.

“I don’t mind at all,” Chris replied. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to.” 

 

They had barely left the grass in the backyard when Hope turned to Dakota. “What the hell, Undomiel!?”

“Sorry, Hope, can you be a bit more specific? Are you angry because Eldar is interested in Chris, angry because you haven’t talked to him yet, or angry he’s showing an interest in my cousin?”

“All of it, goddamnit!” Hope slammed the dishwasher door after putting the dinner dishes inside.

“It’s not too late for you.” DK commented.

“Where did he suddenly find a smooth comfort with women?” Hope ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

Dakota shrugged. “Maybe you should ask him.”

 

Out on the beach, Chris and Eldar talked more about each other’s lives. Chris was fascinated by what Eldar did, even if she couldn’t be very specific. Eldar was equally intrigued by the fact that Chris was so versed in all things scientific and literary. She casually went to touch his hand as they walked, but Chris pulled his hand away with a sigh.

 

“Please, it’s not you, I just have had a very rough go of it lately with regards to relationships. I thought I had a connection with someone and found out I was very wrong and it really sent me in a tailspin. I mean, I thought Hope would be different,” he trailed off, realizing he was revealing more than he probably should have to someone he had only known for a few hours. 

“Ah, that explains the  mood inside.” Eldar nodded.  “You know she still feels something for you. I could hear her teeth grinding every time I looked at you during dinner.”

“Could have fooled me, all I can feel is contempt from her, like I am the one who ended things.”

 

“I don’t know any of the details, and I’m not asking,” Eldar watched her feet sink into the sand as they strolled. “But part of what keeps me alive in my line of work is an awareness of the mood and currents around me. It’s a skillset that comes as second nature to me now. I can tell you that she’s  not hostile toward  _ you _ . She sees me as a threat, regardless of whatever happened between the two of you. I’m leaving to go back to Washington in a couple of hours. I can tell you with all honesty, you’ll find the hostility greatly reduced once I walk out the door.”

“Makes sense, but answer me this. If you could hear her teeth grinding and feel the tenor in the room, why didn’t you stop?” Chris asked with a laugh. “I mean, I love talking to you, but were you intentionally trying to poke the bear that is Hope Solo?”

Eldar laughed brightly before reaching up and patting Christian on the back. “You may be an incredibly wealthy genius, but take it from me, women respond more quickly to a direct threat from another woman.”

“Are you a threat?” Christian asked with a sly smile.

 

“I could be, if the environment was right.” Eldar smiled slightly. “But if you have the slightest interest in the Badass of the National Team, I won’t get in the way of that.”

“She still makes me nervous, does that count?”

“That glare makes me nervous, and I’ve faced down a van full of C4 with a terrorist’s finger on the detonator!” Eldar replied. “Work things out with Hope. We’ll all be at the same wedding together soon, and I’d rather not ruin my cousin’s big day with this kind of tension.”

“Agreed. Friends, though?”

“I’d like that.” Eldar patted his back once more. “I should get back and say my goodbyes to Dakota. I didn’t like her coloring over dinner.”

“You noticed, too. She started sweating a little, too. She’s not resting. Maybe having both Hope and I here is a bit much.”

“Do me a favor,” Eldar asked as they turned back toward the house. “Stay, keep an eye on her. Call me and let me know how she’s doing. She’s not telling me the truth about her disease, and it makes it difficult to know when we should start looking around for an on-call nurse, you know?”

“She’s stubborn as a mule, so you know she is going to play it close to the vest.”

“Agreed, but you know her better than I do. I’m glad she’s willing to let me get close, but you’ve known her longer.”

“Deal. We should get back before Hope puts a hit out on both of us.”

Eldar laughed. “Not a concern of mine. I deal with that sort of violence all the time.”

 

Back at the house, they found Dakota and Hope sitting at the table. “Well, I have to get to the airport. Back to work and all that. I may be out of touch for a week or so, depending on how things go.”

“I understand you can’t go into details, but will you at least be in our own country?” Dakota replied.

“I think so,” Eldar nodded. “I’ll keep in touch as I can.” She looked at Chris meaningfully. 

“Hope, it  was an honor to meet you. Take care of my cousin, okay?” Eldar stuck her hand out toward the disgruntled ‘keeper.

“I’ll try, but she’s a handful.” Hope rose and shook Eldar’s hand with a tight smile. “It was good to meet you too.”

Eldar turned to Chris, smiled and clasped his bicep. “Remember what I said, Genius.”

“I remember, maybe the environment will be different the next time we see each other.”

“Dakota, don’t worry about me. Dad will keep in touch too. I’ll let you know when I get back. Take care of yourself and your blonde bombshell.” She gave her a quick hug and left.

 

Hope looked at Chris for a minute before turning and going out to the veranda.

“Just a guess, but I think she wants you to follow her outside.” DK said. “I’ll be in the office if you need to talk later.” 

 

**_To be continued_ **

 


	21. A Fevered Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope and Christian finally start clearing the air. There might be a chance for them yet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long to get back to the story, dear readers. I was derailed by a hysterectomy, but we're back now and this chapter holds a lot of promise!

Chris waited until Hope was seated facing the ocean before quietly padding outside and taking the seat next to her.

“She’s pretty,” Hope said after a few moments of silence.

“Pardon?”

“DK’s cousin, she’s an attractive woman. I could see why you would be interested in her. Shouldn’t you be waiting for her call to let you know she’s landed or something instead of being out here with me. I’m sure she wouldn’t like that much.”

“You’re impossible to deal with sometimes, Solo,” Chris said without looking at her. “Need I remind you that  _ you  _ were the one who stopped things with me, not the other way around.”

 

“Trust me, I know what I did and trust me when I say I had my reasons for it. Reasons you couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Let me guess,  _ ‘I’m broken, I’m damaged, you don’t want me’ _ ” Chris replied, punctuating each sentence with exaggerated air quotes.

“You don’t know half of what you think you know, Christian. And since when did you become so eloquent and chatty? I felt like I had to play twenty questions just to get you to talk when we were at dinner.”

Chris stood up and turned towards the house. “You don’t know half of what you think you know either, Hope Solo. It’s late and I just don’t have the strength to continue arguing with you. You made your choice and now we both have to deal with it. Let’s just try to be civil for DK’s sake, she doesn’t look well at all and I am sure she doesn’t want to be in the middle of this.”

“Whatever,” Hope said, not even looking up when Christian slammed the veranda door in frustration.. 

 

****

 

Dakota laid out her sketches on the desk, completely covering the surface and tried to envision how Lura might stumble across the sabotaged propulsion drive of their prototype ship. A night where sleep would not come easily perhaps? The pilot needed an excuse to be in the developmental hangar and not in her bed. DK scrubbed at her face with her hand. Her skin felt too tight and gritty. Every inch of her felt strained. She turned to the stereo and queued up the Andrea Bocelli disc Pinoe had sent her, hoping the music would distract her and cover any potential conversation between Hope and Christian. 

 

As a pilot, Lura would take the damage personally. She’d be angry and insulted, and a little surprised by that. The damage would make her realize that she had taken on their quest to get off-planet and into deep space as her own. It had all become personal.

 

She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead and realized she’d been sweating without noticing it. But no matter how distracting the music or her pilot was, Dakota couldn’t ignore her stomach any longer. She slid open a drawer and took out a bottle of pink stuff.  She hated it more than shitinaglass but she didn’t think she would make it to the bathroom if it decided to return dinner. In an uncharacteristic moment, she shoved all the pages off the desk, scattering them on the floor as if they were not her literary future. She retrieved her world building binder from the shelf, set the still open bottle on the desk and laid down on the sofa, intending to read over her notes. But even as her exhausted and fevered body slipped into sleep, her mind served up horrible memories and images to torture her further.

 

Hope didn’t bother to knock when she pushed the office door open. “I know you and Chris are close, but what the hell is with his attitude? I could handle the insecure and afraid genius, but this arrogant and cocky one? He’s infuriating! I feel bad enough, I don’t need to be reminded of what a bitch I was, you know?” She glanced over at her friend lying on the sofa, face covered by her forearm. Since it wasn’t unusual for her to think in that position, Hope thought nothing of it. But the mess on the floor was another story. “Jesus, Undomiel, you get attacked by a small whirlwind or what?” Without looking at Dakota, Hope bent and picked up the papers that had been scattered. When she turned back to put the papers on the desk, she noticed the bottle of pink stuff. She replaced the cap and finally turned completely toward the leather sofa. “DK?”

No reply.

 

Hope crossed the room and lifted the writer’s arm off her face, intending to tease her about falling asleep in the early evening. But the unhealthy pallor and sheen of sweat was enough to kill any humour. “Dakota…” Hope rested the inside of her wrist against her friend’s forehead. “Fever. Of course Harris would be out of town when you get sick.  You’re burning up, we need to get your temperature down, but I don’t think cold cloths are going to cut it. Need to get you into the bathtub. I could lift you if it weren’t for this damned pulled muscle.” Hope went to the office door and yelled, “Christian, I need your help!”

Argument forgotten, Chris came running.

 

“What’s going on? Why are you yelling?”

“Dakota is burning with fever and I can’t get her into the tub myself with the pulled muscle. I need you for that. I can take care of it from there. At least until the fever breaks.” Hope felt ineffectual and frustrated with her body for letting her down.

“Jesus, Hope. I’m not going to make you do this all by yourself.” Chris could feel the heat coming off Dakota’s body from a foot away. “My goodness, she is on fire.” He scooped her off the couch easily and held onto her while Hope walked ahead of them to the bathroom. Dakota shifted in his arms and put her hands around his neck, still not waking.

 

“I know you’re going to kill us later for this, Undomiel, seeing you undressed wasn’t exactly what I had planned for the night either. But we have to break this fever somehow, and hey, I’ve already had your blood all over me, so we’re kinda past the whole awkward stage aren’t we?” Hope babbled as she stripped Dakota’s clothes off.  She watched Christian turn the taps on and the tub began to fill with cool water. “I’m going to stay with you, make sure you don’t slip under the water and drown. Harris would never forgive me. Besides, I’m fairly certain your cousin can kill me and make it look like one of the Muppets did it.”

Dakota, in her fevered state, gave no sign that she was aware of where she was.

 

“You remember the drinking contest we had in Toronto?” Hope continued. “I remember it, I pissed Harris off pretty good.” Hope rubbed her jaw, recalling with complete clarity how the blonde keeper had laid into her.

Chris recalled being dumped into a cold tub as well. It crossed his mind that this was not a fair form of payback.

“I kind of admitted that I had a thing for her,” Hope glanced at Chris. “Harris didn’t take it well.” She shut the lid of the toilet and sat down. “You know, Undomiel would say we’re both being idiots, and she’s probably right.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I know I didn’t treat you fairly. There was other stuff going on and…”

“You did what you felt was the right thing for you. Hope, eventually, I am going to forgive you, but the aftermath is what is making me so confused. I am not blaming you for my problems but I wonder why it took you to trigger everything again.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, what did I trigger?”

“Forget it, we’ll talk about it later. We have other things to be concerned with.”

 

Dakota didn’t hear the conversation taking place in the small room. Her scrambled, fever-heated mind was serving up all sorts of disjointed images. Her father throwing her out, her suitcase landing in the trash. The halfway house she’d spent a few nights in before finding her apartment. Wendy and Rena sneering at her, calling her inmate. Ashlyn shutting a door in her face…

“No…” she protested weakly.

Gene shaking his head as he walked out.

Her mother frowning before turning her back on her.

“No, please…” She reached out. “Wait…”

 

“Damnit, Undomiel, be still before you hit your head!” Hope scrambled as best she could to keep Dakota from hitting the side of the tub. “Chris, can you hold her head? I’m going to add more cold water.” Hope twisted the tap. “The girls all withstand ice baths after practises, I’m sure she can stand this. Does her forehead feel any cooler?”

Chris felt around her forehead, cheeks and neck. “No, I’m afraid she is about the same, I am going to get some ice and put it in a towel on her head. I need a thermometer, if she is over 105 fahrenheit, it could cause brain damage.”

“Never mind the towel,” Hope shook her head. “Crush it a little smaller than cube-sized, put it on a bag, put it on the back of her neck. It’ll cool her down faster. The trainers do it all the time.”

Christian nodded once and left the room.

 

Hope sat on the side of the tub, ready to jump in if Dakota started thrashing again. 

Chris came back quickly with a resealable bag half-filled with ice in one hand and a thermometer in the other. “Thankfully, it’s the type that goes in the ear.”

“I’ll take the bag.” Hope held her hand out.

Christian passed the bag over and gently placed the probe into DK’s ear. He pushed the scan button and breathed a sigh of relief soon after. “102.5. Bad, but not as much as I feared.”

“If this bag of ice doesn’t bring her temperature down soon, we’ll have to get her to a hospital..”

“Let me get more ice.” Chris put the thermometer down and dashed out of the room.

Twenty minutes later, they took her temperature again.

“An even 100 degrees,” Christian breathed. “I think the fever’s broken.”

Hope took a deep breath. “Good. Can you get her out of there? I’ll put some towels on the bed, get her into something dry and comfortable…”

Abruptly, Dakota’s body lurched and she threw everything in her stomach up, and into the now-melted ice bath.

“And puke-free.” Hope finished.

 

_ To be continued _

 


	22. Watchful Vigil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery, conversation and a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter. It's been hammered, let cool and polished. We hope you enjoy it. If you do, tell your friends, okay?

“Regaining health is more difficult an objective then becoming ill.”

Richard Diaz

 

Dakota had been resting more or less quietly for a little while when Hope rose from the chair. She returned to her room briefly to get her book and clip-on reading light. She had been trying to read and not having much success, when she closed the book with a soft sigh. The difficult situation between Chris and herself was ridiculous. She could hear DK telling her to swallow her pride and explain, to be the adult, take the risk.

She closed her book and left the room ninja-quiet.

It took a little searching, but she found Christian outside reading. “Hey, Chris, I want to tell you something, okay? I need you to hear me out, and then I’ll leave you alone.”

Christian lowered his tablet and waited.

“I did enjoy myself when we went out for dinner. I even enjoyed the kiss,” Hope looked down at the interlocking stones. “I had every intention of going out with you again, I really enjoy your company. But Jerr...Jerramy saw us, watched us actually. He was at the game, somehow he saw us at dinner. He followed us, saw you kiss me. I got a threatening text. He didn’t actually come right out and threaten you, but…” Hope blew out a frustrated breath and took her phone from her back pocket. She flipped through it, found the text in question and handed it to Chris before going inside to return to her vigil at Dakota’s bedside.

Chris read the text slowly, his anger blooming along with dismay. Hope had been through hell, but he was a little angry she hadn’t felt he could take care of himself, and he was ashamed that he thought the worst of Hope. He let out a heavy sigh and looked out into the darkness before slowly walking in to face Hope.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally, handing her phone back to her. “For so many things.” 

He sat on the floor in front of her and for the first time since their date, they didn’t look at each other with contempt or confusion, because neither knew what to say.

“No, I’m sorry,” Hope said quietly. “You deserve better than this, you deserve better than me.” 

“Why don’t you let me decide what’s best for me and what isn’t? Fair enough?”

“What happened to you after that day? Dakota told me it was your story to tell.”

Chris’ jaw clenched as he thought about what he had done to himself after he last saw Hope.

“I think everything finally caught up to me and I snapped. I fell into old habits. I got drunk, I took handfuls of pills, and I blotted out everything and everyone for a time. DK, Ash and Ali flew to London and saved me from killing myself slowly.”

“Because of me?” Hope said with a raised eyebrow.

 

“No, not you. I guess it was finally the last straw. Here’s the problem with being me, my mind never stops going, it is never quiet. I try to calm everything down inside, but it never works. I don’t sleep without some sort of sleep aid. I can’t carry on a normal conversation because my brain is concocting eleven different scenarios about how things can go wrong. So I would drink to dull my thoughts, and when that didn’t work, I would try other things. When they brought me back here to dry out, I went through some of the worst withdrawals, it was a nightmare. I had Eve take me to a facility where I learned about myself and got on the right medications to combat my mind. They got me clean again and now I finally feel normal.”

“So, that’s why you’re so smooth now?” Hope said with a small smile.

“I wouldn’t say smooth, maybe more in control than I have been. It’s amazing what happens when you have the balls enough to ask for help and not do everything on your own.”

He stood up and kissed Hope on the cheek, making her sigh internally. 

“Thank you for being honest with me and giving me closure,” he said and walked out of the room, holding back telling her how he still felt about her.

 

****

 

Dakota’s eyes opened slowly, as gritty as if she had been buried alive in a sandbox. The room was dark, but for the pool of soft light surrounding the wicker chair where Christian sat reading his tablet. There was stubble on his chin and a small wrinkle at the corner of one eye. He looked tired, but still intense. Suddenly, he glanced over at her and noticed her studying him. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah.” Dakota had to clear her throat to get the rest of her words out. “Get the number of the truck that hit me?”

“The truck was called Fever. You’ve been out a couple of days.”

“Damn... Give me a minute and I’ll get up.”

“I think not.” Christian set his tablet down and came to the bedside. “Your temperature was pretty high. You need to rest.”

“You said I was out for a couple of days, that’s rest enough.” Dakota turned her head to peer at the nightstand. “Did I leave my waterbottle here?”

Chris opened the top of the bottle and flipped the straw up before handing it over. As he watched her drink, he said, “Hope and I have done fine on our own the past couple of days, and we’ll be fine for a few more hours. Stay in bed and get well. I don’t want to face the wrath of Ashlyn if something were to happen to you.”

Dakota handed the water bottle back and nodded against the pillow. “There was something I wanted to ask you, but we got distracted. Would you be okay if I asked my uncle to walk down the aisle with us, on my other side?”

 

“Dakota, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” 

“Thank you.” DK reached out and snagged Chris’ hand. “Were you watching me sleep, just now?”

“Yes, I was doing my best creepy man imitation if you must know.”

Dakota chuckled weakly. “Liar.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Ash...is she back yet? Does she know?”

“No on both accounts. I haven’t been able to get in touch with her. Eldar knows and she is also trying to contact her. Drs. Chris and Hope have been taking care of you. Hope is asleep right now. We’ve been taking six to eight hour watches over you.”

“Bloody hell, was I that bad?”

“Fever of around 103 for a time, so yes, it was bad. We had to ice bath you to bring your fever down. Cleaning your bathtub was my favorite part. Well, second favorite. Right after Hope stripping you out of your clothes.”

“Oh ...my...God…” Mortified, Dakota pulled the covers over her face.

“I kept my eyes closed the entire time,” Chris offered with a laugh, approaching her with the thermometer. “Hmm.. 99.4. Still a low-grade fever, looks like more bed rest for you.”

“Well, don’t bother Ash. By the time she gets back, I’ll be up and around again.” DK yawned widely. “What time is it? What day is it?”

 

“It’s after midnight on Thursday. I am going to watch over you tonight and let Hope sleep for awhile.”

 

“Have you been helping Hope out too? She is injured you know, a strong British hottie might…”

Christian flipped the covers back over DK’s face. “Never mind, I don’t need a cupid, thank you,” he chuckled as she flicked the quilt back down. “We’re talking, and that’s a start. Let’s just see what happens. Dr. Chris recommends sleep. So sleep. If you need anything, I will be looking over some blueprints in the chair over there.”

“Back to working?”

“Still have bills to pay, Dakota. Have people to pay as well. I also have to figure out a way to get out of the teaching appointment I apparently accepted in Australia.”

 

He tucked the quilt around DK and waited until her eyes had closed again before walking down the hall to check on Hope. As he slowly opened the door, he caught a glimpse of her face in the hallway light. She had kicked her blanket off, but was clearly chilly. He covered her back up and kissed her lightly on the forehead before leaving to take his post at Dakota’s bedside. As he walked down the hall, his phone began buzzing. He saw the picture of Ash and Dakota on the caller ID and picked up.

“Chris, is she okay?”

“Ash, she’s fine. Her fever is down and she is sleeping right now. She’s in good hands, I promise.” After some debate, Christian convinced Ash not to come home early, promising that her girlfriend was on the mend and he and Hope would take care of Dakota. After a brief conversation, they hung up and went back to the familiar wicker chair at DK’s bedside. The only sound was the oscillating fan and Dakota’s light snoring. 

 

**_To be continued!_ **

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragonquill here. I want to thank you all for sticking with us, and the story. As you learned last chapter, I had some health issues this spring. But now that I've found out the source of, and treated the pain I was in, I've buckled down on a project that kept getting put off.  
> (No, not this story, silly)  
> I now have a blog where I can share the original series I'm working on (two, so far) and share some free little bits of originality as well. I've recently put a short story up for sale on Amazon as well! So if all of that sounds interesting, head over to Words and Worlds at https://dragonquillca.wordpress.com/  
> Hope to see you there!
> 
> Coming soon, the next chapter in this story!


	23. How To Build A Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashlyn and Dakota's friends throw them a couples' shower and Gene shares a little pre-wedding advice.

_ "It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” _

_ Friedrich Nietzsche _

 

Ash had been back from Boston for a few days and the feeling in the house was much improved. One morning, she rolled over to find herself alone in bed. She padded through the silent house, smelling a combination of salt-tinted air and coffee. Through the patio door, she spotted Dakota swimming slow laps in the pool. Ash watched her girlfriend slice through the water, and thought back to a time when she’d wondered if DK had a future in competitive swimming. In a rare moment of regret, she sighed for what might have been. Then she shook her head, poured them both coffee and went outside.

DK spotted Ash and smiled. “Morning.”

“Good morning. I haven’t seen you do that in a while. Feeling better?”

“Much.” Dakota stepped out of the pool and picked her towel up where she’d left it draped over her chair. “I woke up thinking how much I missed swimming.”

“Ali still talks about how fast you used to be in the water…” Ash dropped her gaze. “Sorry…”

Dakota took a sip from her cup as she shrugged a shoulder. “Don’t be, it’s not your fault. In some other universe, there’s a copy of me breaking swim records. I’ll just have to enjoy what I can do now.”

They sat quietly together, sipping coffee, watching the sunrise and wondering what might have been.

 

“The big day is almost here,” Dakota said finally. “Any last minute things we need to do?”

“Come up with a plan to survive the couple’s shower?”

DK smiled. “I think Hope and Eldar will keep things from getting too crazy.”

“You know my mother keeps asking me for a list of things we need,” Ash said before lifting her mug to her lips again.

“Did you tell her we don’t want gifts at the shower? That we’re collecting donations to the Children’s Hospital instead?”

“I did. She thought it was a wonderful idea. Are you ready for our whirlwind honeymoon?”

“Hell yes. I can’t wait to see New Zealand!” Dakota did a little happy wriggle in her seat. “Did I mention how much I love the rings?”

“Only a dozen times,” Ash chuckled as she reached out and took DK’s hand. “Seriously though, have you decided if you want to take my name when it’s all done?”

“I think I’d like to hyphenate.”

Ashlyn cocked an eyebrow. “You sure? I can hear Hope now…”

Dakota chuckled. “That’s alright, it’ll give her something new to razz me about. I’ll probably leave things as they are for the book though, and any others in the future.”

“Yeah, if you put both names on the cover, there’d be no room for anything else!” Ash waggled their joined hands and smiled.

****

 

Dakota leaned back into her chair, tired from laughing more in a couple of hours than she had in weeks. The couple’s shower had turned out pretty well so far. Nearly everyone invited had showed up, according to Hope, who had been in charge of the invitations. Pinoe and Eldar had set two long tables up on the beach near the house and covered them over with some sort of sheer fabric for shade. Not too far away stood a surfing couple standee with cut-out faces. Everyone had a great time taking photos there, couples and friends alike. The tables were heavily laden with S’mores, fruit kabobs on bamboo skewers, a mini taco bar, trays and trays of fruit, personal sized pizzas, mini bunless cheeseburger bites on skewers, and metal washtubs full of ice and water, soda, beer, fruit juice and iced tea by the gallon. No one would go hungry or thirsty. Their guests were all engrossed in a game of ‘Who said it, Ash or DK?’, and the beach was alive with laughter.

“Wait….I know this one!” Tammye held up a hand as she answered a question DK hadn’t heard. “It’s Dakota, of course!”

“Okay,” Eldar held an index card in front of her. “Who uses the following expression, Ash or DK, ‘Booboos!” Then she squinted at the writing. “Seriously?”

Abby, Syd and Alex all called out at the same time. “Ash!”

While a few of the soccer players debated when Ashlyn had started using the endearment for her friends, Gene stepped up behind Dakota’s chair. “Do you feel up to taking a walk on the beach with me? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Sure. I think my legs are ready for a bit of a stretch.”

Gene offered his niece his arm, and they strolled along the water’s edge with Miranda following a few feet behind.

 

“You feeling all right?” Gene asked. “Damned disease giving you a break finally?” His gravelly voice betrayed his concern.

Dakota left her hand curled in the crook of her uncle’s arm as they walked. “Thankfully, yes. I’m hoping it stays tolerable until after the honeymoon. I plan on enjoying my wedding day.”

“Eldar tells me Ashlyn is taking you to New Zealand. That true?”

DK nodded. “She has all sorts of things that we can do if I’m up to it. I think I’m most looking forward to seeing Hobbiton and where they filmed Xena.”

“That show about the warrior woman who kicked ass? Did all sorts of impossible flips, took on whole armies and always won? Eldar still watches the reruns when she can find them.”

“That’s the one,” DK nodded. “But you didn’t ask me out here to talk about Xena, did you?”

“No, I didn’t.” They walked in silence for a minute or two while Gene collected his thoughts. Finally, he said, “I know I don’t have any right to be handing out advice, but there’s some things I’ve learned while making a mess of my marriage...I thought maybe if you didn’t mind…and Eldar is showing no signs of getting married any time soon...”

“Uncle Gene, you’re rambling. I wouldn’t mind some advice. It’s not like I’ve done this before.”

 

Gene looked out at the water, then glanced back at Dakota. “You and Ashlyn already know something I didn’t, that love has to be nurtured. I lost a marriage because I didn’t realize that like a box, you have to keep putting stuff into it before you can get anything out of it. Romance, companionship, trust, love, but most of all, friendship. You need to stay friends, because that will get you through almost anything. Always talk to her, Dakota, never shut her out, because if you do, the core starts to rot under a relationship. If you can talk to her about what you’re feeling and thinking, the disagreements won’t be as bad. I learned that too late to save my own marriage.”

“Ever thought about giving it another shot?”

“No, and don’t be thinking about trying to find me anyone, young lady.” Gene tried to sound gruff, but his smile gave him away. “”Your cousin has been trying to play matchmaker for some time. I committed my heart to my job all those years ago, and that’s not likely to change now. But listen, you need to remember that it’s not going to matter who was right when you have an argument, it won’t matter whose family you spend holidays with, what means the most is that you have each other when she’s done with her career and you have no more books inside you. And I know that day is a long way off, but you want to remember these things while you can. This family is no good at relationships,and I want you to be the exception, alright?”

“Yes sir,” DK smiled up at her uncle.

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Dakota.”

“I’m glad I did, Uncle Gene.” 

“I suppose I’d best be getting you back to the party,” Gene glanced over his shoulder. “Your bodyguard looks a mite thirsty.”

They chuckled and turned back the way they’d come.

“You ready to be married in a couple of days? You got everything squared away?”

“Yep, I think we’re as ready as we can be. The only wrinkle we’ve had is the venue.” Dakota nodded as they passed Miranda on their way back. “Apparently the beach we wanted to hold the wedding on has been smothered in some sort of algae growth, so we’re getting married on our beach, here.”

“Ah, that explains your cousin’s mutterings about cameras and security checks. I’m pleased the two of you have hit it off so well.”

“I am too, although I think Eldar might be glad when it’s all over and Ash and I are on our honeymoon!” DK laughed.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but we’re both glad you and Ashlyn are allowing us to be a part of your big day. We wouldn’t miss it for the world. Terrorists will just have to wait.”

 

To be continued...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the wedding! The color scheme is white and red.  
> Are you ready?


	24. Broken Hearts Repaired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the wedding rehearsal chapter!

_ “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” _

_ Lao Tzu _

 

“So, the bridal music kicks in,”  On cue, most of the wedding party started humming the bridal march, even though Dakota had chosen a Pachelbel piece of music. No one but a few knew that though.  “And then Chris, Dakota and Gene, you’ll start walking toward us here under the arch.” Abby verbally guided them through the wedding rehearsal.

“Am I supposed to be nervous already?” DK muttered.

“Just don’t do what I did when I married your aunt.” Gene responded quietly.

“Which was?”

“Chucked my lunch everywhere.”

“Yes, please don’t do that.” Chris joined in.

 

They slowly approached the archway that hadn’t yet been decorated and Abby shot them a quick smile. “Before Chris joins Ali and Pinoe, he’ll take one of your hands, DK and one of Ash’s. Gene, you’ll be joining the gathering wherever you’d like. There are no family sides, since we’re all family of one sort or another. Christian has a little something he’ll share and then he’ll go and stand with Ali and Pinoe.”

Gene nodded, leaned toward his niece and whispered, “If you’re nauseous, jam your tongue up into the roof of your mouth and take deep breaths through your nose. It helps.”

Dakota nodded and Gene went to stand beside Eldar.

Chris stepped forward and faced the assembly, taking each of the soon-to-be-married couple’s hands. “Blah, blah, blah. Iwillnotspoilthesurprisetodaysoyoucanjustforgetit.” He said all in one breath.

Chuckles rippled through the wedding party.

 

“Once Dr. Chris joins Meghan and Ali, I’ll step forward again,” Abby spoke up once more. “I’ll say some mind-blowingly romantic stuff, then Ash and Dakota will exchange vows and rings. They’ll probably want to kiss,” Abby paused to roll her eyes with a smile. “And then they’ll be presented as married partners, and the paperwork will be signed by Ash, Dakota and their first witnesses.”

“Whitney for me and Ali for DK,” Ash supplied.

Abby nodded. “There’ll be pictures after. Hopefully Mother Nature provides us with a good show because this whole thing is being timed so photos are shot during sunset. While the wedding party are being all photogenic, the rest of us will be retiring to the tents set up over the tables for the reception and dance.”

 

“I’d like to interrupt for just a second if I could,” Dakota turned toward the small group of people. “As you all know, we’ll both be wearing white and red tomorrow, and going completely barefoot. We plan on wiggling our toes in the sand as we say our vows and dancing barefoot as well. Even though I’m fairly sure we’ll be as well protected as the First Family, this will be low-key. The dresscode, the music, the food, all of it. Don’t wear shoes unless you’ll feel naked without them. And as Abby has already mentioned, there will be no seating plan for either the ceremony or the reception.  We intend tomorrow to be a celebration, and I speak for both of us when I say we want everyone to be themselves and have a good time. So now that we have the rehearsal over, let’s all go have lunch!”

****

The reception area had already been set up by the caterers, and the tables covered by large tents with the sides rolled up to allow the breeze to blow through off the ocean. Ashlyn made sure DK was comfortable  before kissing her cheek lightly. “You look tired, pretty lady. You doing okay?”

“Almost perfect.” Dakota relied with a smile. “I’m going to be married to my best friend tomorrow.”

Ash smiled brightly. “Funny thing, I’m marrying my best friend too!” Then she brushed a grey hair away  from Dakota’s face gently. “Do you want me to get your lunch while I’m getting mine?”

“Spoiling me already?”

“Absolutely!” Ashlyn straightened up, tapped her gently on the tip of her nose and left to pile their plates high with food. Dakota watched Whitney and Hope bookend Ash at the food table. Hope said something that made all three of them laugh, and DK smiled to see them all so happy.

“Dakota, could I speak to you a moment?”

 

The writer twisted in her chair. “Of course, Mother. Have a seat.”

“I’ve never attended a wedding rehearsal in bare feet, or a wedding, without getting all dressed up. I like your way. It’s very liberating.”

“It must be a bit of an adjustment getting used to the heat again.”

“A bit, yes.” Alexis played with a pendant at her throat. “Dakota, I may not get a chance to thank you tomorrow, and then you’ll be going off on your honeymoon...so...thank you for giving me another chance.”

“Uncle Gene said almost the same thing.” DK chuckled.

“We are keenly aware of the gift you’ve given us. Heaven knows we don’t deserve it. It takes a very special person to be able to forgive as you have.” Alexis picked up her daughter’s hand. “You uncle told me about your illness. I was shocked to say the least.”

“I was going to tell you, but…I was having a hard time accepting it. I had no idea how to tell you.”

“I can’t even imagine how it must be for you, but I promise I’m going to learn all I can and even though I’m in Montana now, and you’re here, I am only ever a phone call away. Anything I can do for you, Dakota, you have only to ask.”

“I’m not very good at asking for help, Mother.”

“Will you at least try?”

“I can do that.”

 

“That’s a start. Now, there’s one more thing,” Alexis let go of DK’s hand and raised both of her own to the back of her neck. “This pendant used to be your grandmother’s. She gave it to me on my wedding day to your father. I’d like you to have it now.” Alexis held it out for Dakota, who cradled it in her hand. It was a silver phoenix with blue wings raised up over its head and the tail curved under the body. “Your grandmother told me the wings are inlaid paua shell. She seemed to think it’s very old, and Greek for some reason that she never explained to me. I know the wedding tomorrow won’t be as steeped in tradition as my first one was but…”

“It’s beautiful. Will you put it on for me?” Dakota raised her eyes to her mother’s.

Alexis swallowed and nodded as she tried to fight back the tears that burned for release. When the silver chain had been fastened around her daughter’s neck, Alexis took her hands. “I’m very proud of you, Dakota, and even though I haven’t told you often, I  _ do _ love you.”

“I’ve waited a long time to hear that. Thank you.” DK whispered through sudden tears. She rose from the chair and Alexis wrapped her arms around her daughter for the first time in over a decade.

****

Over at the food table, Ali gently elbowed her ‘keeper friend. “Ash, look at DK.”

Ashlyn was speechless for a moment, before smiling. “She’s waited a long time for that.”

“Looks like the wedding has reunited Dakota’s family.” Pinoe said as she came to stand beside Ash. “Speaking of the wedding, have you finished your vows yet?”

Ashlyn turned back toward the food and began to fill a plate for Dakota. “Yep, finished them at five this morning.”

Meghan shook her head. “Do you never sleep? You’ll need your rest for New Zealand you know.”

Ashlyn gave an earthy chuckle. “Oh, I know. I just can’t wait for tomorrow…”

 

**_To be continued...the wedding!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to thank each and every one of you for coming along on this ride with Dakota, Ash and friends. It’s been a longer journey than I first envisioned, but one I’ve enjoyed so much! The next chapter will be the wedding, and the last chapter in this book. If you’ve enjoyed my writing, I encourage you to check out my other fan fiction. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this tale or any of my others.   
> See you at the wedding!


	25. The Morning Two Hearts Became One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's wedding day! Well, morning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was writing the day of the wedding and realized it was going to be way too big for one chapter, so I split it up.  
> This is the morning of the wedding day, as you might have figured by the title.
> 
> See end notes for further thoughts.

The morning lit gradually with the rising sun as it bathed the beach in a pink hue. A stray gull searching for breakfast flew low across the water, and a pair of grey-blue eyes tracked its progress across the surf. Dakota leaned against the doorframe, still in her sleepwear and a warm mug of coffee gripped between her hands. She had expected to feel nervous, but the butterflies hadn’t settled into her stomach just yet. She enjoyed the peaceful calm while it lasted. Hope, Ashlyn and Whitney had taken over hotel rooms on the same floor as Ash’s brother and Tammye. With only Dakota, Pinoe, Chris and Ali, the house felt more still than usual. Likely because everyone, with the exception of Dakota, was still sleeping. DK watched the view outside until the sun had risen fully in the sky before she turned toward the kitchen and considered breakfast.

 

By the time anyone else got out of bed, Dakota was sliding the last of the bacon from the pan onto a plate.

“What smells so good?” Ali asked as she came into the room.

“French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee.”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“A little.” Dakota handed Ali a mug.

Ali reached out and snagged a lock of Dakota’s hair. “The red streak looks good.”

DK grinned. “It’s different, seeing it on you.”

“When Dr. Chris suggested we get ours done as well, we couldn’t say no,” Ali smiled widely. “I think Pinoe is going to break the ‘net when she takes her selfie.”

They laughed together as Dakota plated their breakfast and put the rest in the oven to keep warm.

Pinoe shuffled in yawning with her red and blonde bedhead hair wildly out of control, while just behind her Dr. Chris came to the table looking freshly scrubbed, with his red-streaked hair still shower-damp.

Once everyone had their breakfast and drinks in front of them, Dakota looked at each of her friends in turn. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, and all that you’ll do later today. It means a lot, and I’m glad you’ll all be up there with me.

Megan lifted her coffee cup, “To love, in all its forms!”

“To love!”

****  

Hours later, while Christian made lunch, Ali and Megan put the final decorative touches on the arch on the beach. The ‘aisle’ had been marked with solar lanterns earlier and had been soaking up the sun. All that remained was to set the folding chairs in rows and scatter the flower petals on the path to the arch. When the two women declared themselves finished, they went back into the house.

“There you are, good! Lunch is ready. It’s as healthy a salad as I could make with chicken, fruit and cheese…” Chris began to babble.

“I’ll rescue him from himself, you go get DK,” Ali murmured to Pino.

 

Megan peeked into the partially open door of the office. The light was out but she could see a lump on the sofa. “DK? You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m good, c’mon in.”

“You trying to hide away from the world?” Megan asked as she came further into the room.

“Nah, just trying to stay calm. I’m so excited I want to spin in circles like a little kid, you know?” Dakota said as she sat up.

Pinoe nodded as she sat on the far end of the leather sofa. “I remember when we won that last World Cup...I couldn’t run fast enough or jump high enough to express how happy I was.”

“You, not be able to jump high enough? I don’t believe it,” DK chuckled.

Megan grinned. “I had all this energy afterwards, as tired as I was, and I just didn’t know what to do with it. So, yeah, I get it.”

“There’s nothing to do but wait,” Dakota said. “You’ve all been so good about making sure the details were taken care of. I can’t change yet, I’d absolutely drop a bit of food on my wedding whites. I can’t go outside yet, Eldar and the security team are having kittens about the exposure as it is.”

“Can’t write?”

“Hell, no. My mind won’t settle on anything properly.”

“Let’s play cards after lunch then. We can pick up our game of rummy. Dr. Chris says lunch is ready. I think he’s nervous for you...he was kinda babbling when we came in.”

“Yup, he’s nervous.” Dakota affirmed. As they left the room, she asked, “Hey, when the time comes, do you know what you want to do after your playing days are over?”

“I’d like to get my coaching papers, continue the work that Rach and I have started.” Pinoe replied as they moved down the hall toward the kitchen. “Hey, Kriegs, what do you want to do when you can’t play professionally anymore?”

“I’m not sure just yet, but coaching would be an easy extension I guess.”

“I wish I knew what Ash’s plans were, but she’s just hitting her peak, really,” Dakota said as she sat at the table. “I know she’s thinking about it, but whenever I bring it up, she changes the topic.”

“Remember, she did get a degree in Communications, and she’s so good with kids...She’ll come around. You just have to be patient with her.” Ali reassured her writer friend. 

“Whatever she chooses, she’ll be brilliant.” Christian said as he placed the large bowl of salad on the table. 

****

As the four friends were sharing a salad, Ash was sitting on the hotel’s gym floor, bouncing a squash ball off the wall opposite.

Hope pushed the glass door open and sat in a similar style an arm’s length away. “What’s going on?”

“Just thinking. My brother send you to look for me?”

“Yeah. He’s half-jokingly making references to the movie ‘Runaway Bride’. I told him not to worry.” Hope peered carefully at her fellow ‘keeper. “We  _ don’t _ have to worry...do we?”

Ash caught the ball and held on to it, rolling it gently in her hand. “Am I taking on more than I can handle, Hope? There’s no cure for Dakota’s illness. What if in the grip of her worst day she believes all the fan fiction out there that the fans write about us...they all think I’m some kind of sleaze, a player…”

“You aren’t, Harris. You know ninety percent of what they write is wrong. They’re just guessing. Undomiel knows that’s not you.”

“How do you know?”

“What? That you aren’t a player?” Hope squinted. “I know how hard you train, and how often. I know how many hours of sleep you like to get, you don’t normally like being in clubs or bars and I know you don’t go around picking up women. Besides, I know you love Undomiel.”

Ash smiled and nodded. “I sure do.”

“So get off your ass, come up to the room and let’s get your shit ready.” Hope held out a hand.

Ash accepted the help getting off the floor and dropped the squash ball.

****

Alexis Sullivan blinked at the sudden intrusion of bright light as her car door opened. A hand reached into help her out, and by instinct she grasped at it.

“Do have a garment bag you need help with, Aunt Alexis?”

“Eldar? Surely you aren’t a concierge tonight?”

Her niece smiled warmly as she lifted the bag from the interior of the car. “No, Ma’am. I’ve been watching for you. I’ve been helping Dakota’s security team keep an eye on things. Can I help you into the house?” 

“I’d like that, thank you. We don’t get enough of a chance to talk, just you and I. Do you have a moment before we go in?”

“Of course.” Eldar handed the garment bag off to a junior member of the guard detail that had been shadowing her. “Make sure you give this to one of the bridal party. Tell them it contains Lieutenant Governor Sullivan’s clothes. We’ll be in shortly.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” The young woman was so enthusiastic, Eldar half expected her to salute.

Alexis chuckled as she wrapped her arm around Eldar’s. “She seems intense.”

“She is. I’ve convinced Dakota’s head of security to hire a few more, I don’t like the odds of another nut-bar trying to hurt Dakota. Two is too many.”

“I completely agree,” Alexis nodded. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know please?”

Eldar nodded. “I’m guessing you didn’t delay going in to talk about security, Aunt Alexis.”

 

“True enough. I’ve been talking to your father…”

Eldar waited for her aunt to gather her thoughts as they strolled along the beach.

“If I understood him correctly, Dakota’s diagnosis is fairly recent, do we know how she and Ashlyn are taking it?”

“I’m not really sure. Dakota seems to think she can power through all but her worst days by sheer willpower…”

“Reminds me of a certain someone who pulled one of her team members to safety after she herself had been shot three times.” Alexis replied dryly.

“That was different,” Eldar objected. “Illiad would have died if I hadn’t dragged her to safety. You know I’d never leave a member of my team behind.”

“You sound like your father.”

Eldar smiled proudly.

  
  


“Are you close with her, your cousin?”

“I think we’re getting there. She finally agreed to let me help shop around for someone local and discreet when she needs help. Especially when Ashlyn is away.”

“Good.” Alexis stopped and faced the ocean. “I was a stupid fool for how I treated her all those years ago. She needs family, but even if she and I had completely repaired our relationship, I’m still too far away. Will you watch out for her when you can? Let me know how she really is? I have a sneaking suspicion that like the rest of this family, she keeps her pain to her herself.”

“She does,” Eldar nodded. “She’s a bit of a tough nut to crack, but I can do it. Don’t worry, Aunt Alexis, I’ve got folks here watching on my behalf. Dakota has the best female FLY team leader on her side, whether she knows it or not!”

Alexis smiled. “I still say you need a promotion.”

Her niece made a face. “Urk, that would put me behind a desk. No thank you! Not for me!”

“Just make sure you come back from those top secret missions alive. Thanksgiving and Christmas are bound to be more interesting now.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I certainly will.”

“I suppose we’d better head back. I still need to change…”

“Aunt Alexis, is that a red streak in your hair?” Eldar tried to sound scandalized but her laughter gave her true feelings away.

The Lieutenant Governor of Montana chuckled. “Yes it is. When Dakota invited me to be a part of the wedding party, there was no way I was going to disappoint her.”

“Looks bad-ass, if you ask me.” Eldar said.

 

_ To Be Continued _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By now you may have guessed the next chapter will be the ceremony, and you'd be right!  
> I know a few of us are wondering 'what do I read when this epic is over?' I recommend going back to the very beginning of Ash and Dakota's series, where I have three separate books that begins with 'My Silent Place'.  
> Or if you'd like to read some of my other fannish-fiction (including some Once Upon A Time and Xena:Warrior Princess fan fic), you can find that through my profile page. You can also find some original work of mine the same way.  
> http://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonquillca/pseuds/Dragonquillca
> 
> You're more than welcome to come over to my writing blog and check out the original work I have there as well as some thoughts on sci-fi, speculative fiction and writing in general.  
> https://dragonquillca.wordpress.com/
> 
> See you at the wedding next chapter!
> 
> No matter which you choose, please feel free to let me know if you enjoy any of my work


	26. All of Me Loves All of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, Dakota and Ash get married.

Ali slid her hands into the pockets of her capri pants, leaned on the post and looked out toward the beach. Her fingertips found the ring Dakota had entrusted her with and she played with it a little, feeling it’s metallic coolness against the pads of her fingers.  
“Nervous?”  
Ali turned at the voice and smiled to see her girlfriend approach. “Nope. I’ve done this before.”  
“Ah, that’s right, when your mother got re-married.” Nyssa nodded as she wrapped an arm around Ali. “You look good.”  
“Thanks.” Ali smiled her mega-watt smile. “You look pretty hot yourself.”  
“You’re biased.”  
“You’re right.”  
“You ever think about getting married?” Nyssa asked.  
“Not until you and I got close. Now? I think about it a lot.”  
“Well, fair warning. I’m a romantic.”  
“I noticed.” Ali grinned before looking out toward the sky. “It’s almost time.”  
Nyssa motioned with her chin. “Abby looks a little nervous. I’ll go see if she’s okay.”  
“I’ll see you after the ceremony.” Ali kissed Nyssa lightly and turned toward the house to find Dakota.

***  
Ashlyn watched Abby talk quietly with Nyssa for a minute before nudging her brother’s arm. “C’mon, it’s time.”  
The wilder Harris sibling nodded and the two of them made their way toward Abby.  
Nyssa nodded to them and left to find her seat, just as Abby turned. “Nervous?”  
Ash shook her head. “Nope, I’m good, Abs. Thanks again for doing this for us.”  
Her tall friend gave her a half-smile. “Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. The sun is starting to set. You ready to get married?”  
“You bet!”  
Abby nodded at the DJ, and the opening strains of Pachelbel’s ‘Beyond The Sea’ lifted into the cooling air.

Ash watched the rest of the wedding party approach in the order they’d practiced. Dakota’s gaze was locked onto Ashlyn’s, and they both smiled with excitement. DK held Christian’s arm on one side, and her uncle’s on the other. They had all been through so much, and come so far. The enormity of the day was lost on no one in their inner circle. As they stopped in front of Ash, Gene kissed his niece’s cheek, winked at Ashlyn and took a seat beside Jill. Christian felt Dakota release his elbow and he too kissed her on the cheek. But instead of taking his place with Pinoe and Ali, he stepped forward and from memory, recited his favorite Shakespeare sonnet, trying not to look at Hope as he spoke.

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds  
Admit impediments. Love is not love  
Which alters when it alteration finds,  
Or bends with the remover to remove:  
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark  
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;  
It is the star to every wandering bark,  
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.   
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle's compass come:  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.  
If this be error and upon me proved,  
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”

After he finished, he took his place and snuck a glance in Hope’s direction, hoping for a smile, but not looking long enough to see if it actually happened. He pushed his red streaked hair out of his eyes and focused on the ceremony and Abby’s words.

“Dakota and Ashlyn, you love one another and that shows through in everything you do for one another, how you treat each other, in good times and bad. You are an example for all of us.  
Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do. Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, love doesn’t know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes, and in the modified words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never dies.”

Hope snuck a glance at Christian. She was a little surprised he had recited Shakespeare so flawlessly. He had intrigued her almost from the beginning. As if he felt her gaze, Christian looked over and made eye contact. Hope stunned him with a brief, brilliant smile before turning her attention back to Abby.  
  
“There are many different kinds of love. There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends. Not only do Ashlyn and Dakota love one another romantically – and they do, you can see it in every look, every touch, every moment they’re together – they also love one another as friends. The love here this evening, from friends and family, will help sustain and support the promises they make today. All of us here will help solidify this bond, as these two individuals are joined. We’re here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn’t happily ever after, love is the experience of writing your story. Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract. You are promising, in front of all these people you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here today. For their part, the people who love you will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain. Ash, would you like to share something with Dakota?”

Ashlyn turned her attention from Abby to the woman in front of her, whose hands she held as if they were her lifeline. “You are all the constellations in my sky. You have changed the way my heart beats, the way I see the world around us, and I don’t want that to ever change. Love me until I forget how to think. Be my north, my south, my east and west. Be my morning and my midnight. Let me surf the waves of your soul until we’re old and stiff. Bind your heart to mine, and love me forever.” As the ocean hissed over the sand, Ash turned and took the ring from Whitney’s outstretched hand, then slipped it on Dakota’s finger as she gazed into her shining blue eyes.

“Dakota, you had something you wanted to share?” Abby said softly.

“It’s hard not to fall in love with someone who sees the mixed up parts of your soul, and the darkest corners of your mind, your chaotic fears and misgivings...and yet loves you in spite of all of these things. You are the forest that holds me up to the sky, my stars and my moon that lights my way in the darkness. I will find you in a thousand lifetimes, and love only you in each of them. Let this day be our chapter one of the rest of our lives. Read the pages of our love with me until we turn the last page in the book that is ours alone.” Dakota took the dark band that matched her own from Ali and slipped it onto Ashlyn’s finger as Abby spoke again.

“You’ve kissed a thousand times, maybe more. But today, this kiss means so much more than all the others. Today, your kiss is a promise we will all bear witness to. With joy, I now pronounce you married. You may now...”  
Ash and Dakota crashed their lips together and sealed all of their words with a kiss that made everyone gathered just a little misty-eyed.  
“Yeah...that.” Abby said with a smile.

After a few moments, Ashlyn snaked a hand around Dakota’s neck and drew their foreheads together. They ignored the many cameras, closed their eyes and leaned into each other. “I love you more than words can express,” Dakota whispered.  
“I can’t imagine sharing the rest of my life with anyone else,” Ash replied just as quietly.  
When they straightened up and opened their eyes, Abby spoke up, loudly and clearly enough for all to hear, “I now pronounce you married partners for life!”  
Everyone in attendance broke into applause as Ashlyn and Dakota walked the short distance to the table where the marriage license waited to be signed. Once both of them had signed, Whitney signed for Ash’s witness and Ali signed as Dakota’s.   
As John Mayer’s ‘Heart of Life’ carried out over the sand, Ashlyn lifted her elbow. “May I escort you to the beach for photos, Mrs. Harris?”  
“I’d enjoy that, thank you, Mrs. Harris.” Dakota beamed.

***

Alexis Sullivan, Lieutenant Governor of Montana, stood with the rest of the wedding party as they posed for photos for a group shot. Mother Nature put on her best colors for the occasion as the sky behind them ran with red and orange streaks. Following Dakota and Ashlyn’s example, everyone in the wedding party sported a red streak in their hair, chose to go barefoot and wore white. Ash and Dakota wore capri pants rolled up to their knees and tunic-style shirts, open at the collar. They remained true to their vision of the day, and had gone shoeless, visibly wiggling their toes in the sand as they’d declared their love for each other in their vows. Alexis was pleased to see the pendant she had given Dakota the day before around her daughter’s neck.   
“They make a nice couple, don’t they?”  
“Do you have any idea how lucky we are, Gene?”  
“I certainly do.” Her brother-in-law rumbled. “She would have had every right to turn her back on us like we did to her all those years ago.”  
“And look at her now,” Alexis shook her head a little in wonder. “Wiser than we are, a better human than I’ll ever be and so full of love.”  
As the sky grew darker and darker, the photoshoot drew to a close and in small groups, most of the wedding party drifted toward the tents lit by lanterns and candles.  
Ash and Dakota watched the last of the sun’s rays fade into darkness, hand in hand. Together, they turned away from the water and toward the party celebrating their love.

****

As the opening piano notes to John Legend’s “All of Me” began to play, Ash stood from her chair and held her hand out. “They’re playing our song, Dakota. Will you dance with me?”  
They moved a short distance away from their table, and Dakota moved into Ashlyn’s embrace. She rested her head on Ash’s strong shoulder, and smiled when she felt her wife’s cheek rest on her head. With their eyes closed, they moved as one to the music, under the loving gazes of their friends and family. Dakota thought back to the day she had met Ashlyn, never thinking they would fall in love. Never imagining they would go through so much, and come out of all of it closer and stronger for their trials.  
She wouldn’t trade what she had now for anything.

With the opening strains of Etta James’ “At Last” Gene spoke up from behind Ash. “Mind if I cut in?”  
Ashlyn smiled and handed Dakota over to her uncle. “Not at all.”  
As Gene guided his niece over the sand, he studied her carefully. “You doing okay?”  
“I’m great.” DK flashed him a smile. “Thank you…”  
“What for?”  
“For helping us celebrate today. For helping me get my family back.”  
Gene was silent for a few heartbeats, and when he spoke, DK could hear the emotion in his voice. “It was my pleasure, Dakota, but I think I’m the lucky one.”  
Too overwhelmed by emotion, neither of them spoke any further, happy they had a second chance.

Instead of going back to her seat at the end of the dance, DK made her way instead to the DJ’s table. She scribbled a note, showed him the paper and he nodded. By the time she sat down beside Ash, U2’s “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” was playing.  
The DJ keyed his mic and spoke briefly, “By request, for Christian and Hope.”

Christian looked up at the mention of his name entangled with Hope’s. He swallowed hard and made his way over to her.

Tough, you think you've got the stuff  
You're telling me and anyone  
You're hard enough

“Would seem a shame to not dance to a song specifically for us,” he said, holding out his hand to the keeper. She looked at him nervously and rose to her feet. It felt like a million pairs of eyes were on them as they made their way to the dance floor. Hope wound her arms around Christian’s neck as he placed his hands on her hips. Luckily for him, his nerves were somewhat under control, but Hope couldn’t look at him. He took his hand and lifted her chin so that he could look into her beautiful eyes.

“There are so many things,” she said quietly.

You don't have to put up a fight  
You don't have to always be right  
Let me take some of the punches  
For you tonight

“I am going to be around for a long time, so whenever you are ready to talk over all of those things, we can.”

“But I thought you were going to teach in Australia?”

“Someone might have let it slip that I went on a major booze and pills bender and the news made it back to the University that I may not be the most fit candidate for the position,” he said with a smile.

Listen to me now  
I need to let you know  
You don't have to go it alone

“Oh, so that means you’re still looking for a job?”

“No, I start teaching at the University of Florida next term. So, like I said, I’m going to be around for a good bit.”

Hope smiled and moved in closer to Christian.

“You know something, Hope Solo, you scare me more than any person I have ever met. You are stubborn, brash, overly outspoken and generally a pain in the ass. But to me, you are perfect. I have made some horrible decisions in my life, but asking you out on a date was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I know you are going through some horrific times with your divorce, but just know I will always be in your corner and if you need me, anytime, anywhere, I will be there.”

And it's you when I look in the mirror  
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone  
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

We fight all the time  
You and I...that's alright  
We're the same soul  
I don't need...I don't need to hear you say  
That if we weren't so alike  
You'd like me a whole lot more

“You know how broken I am, my past,” she said sheepishly.

“I’d like the opportunity to put those pieces together. I mean, I design engines for a living, how hard could it be? You just have to be willing to let me in and be vulnerable for once in your life.”

“I can’t promise you the vulnerable part right away, but… I hope you know what you’re getting into, Dr. Jones.” Hope said with a smile, bringing her lips to his.

Christian swore he heard the entire crowd go “Awwwww.”

****  
After the cake had been cut and shared, after everyone had a glass in hand, Dakota’s mother stood and faced the happy couple.  
“I’d like to say a few words, if I might?”  
Everyone stopped what they were doing and faced her. She was quite sure everyone in attendance knew of her role in Dakota’s personal history.  
She turned to address those celebrating first. “For anyone not yet aware of who I am, although I doubt that’s possible,” she smiled. “I am very proud to declare myself Dakota’s mother. And while I am not proud of how poorly I treated her many years ago, she has shown me what love and forgiveness can accomplish.” Alexis turned back to her daughter. “My life is made richer by having you back in it, thank you for giving me another chance. I also wanted to thank you, Ashlyn, for holding me to a higher standard, for showing me what love looks like, and also for giving Dakota’s family a chance. I hope the two of you know that no matter where you go in this life, you are loved by so many of us. I hope your lives are forever intertwined, I hope your dreams stay large and your worries stay small. Never be afraid to ask for help, either from each other or from those of us how love you. Family is made of many layers, and I will be here for the both of you for the rest of my days. I am honored to share in this special day that we all celebrate your tremendous love for each other,” she turned back to face the crowd of smiling faces. “To Dakota and Ashlyn!”

Everyone lifted their glasses and toasted the happiest people there.

“To Dakota and Ashlyn!”

**_THE END_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot tell you how sad I was to type 'the end'. It has been suggested that this not be the end of Ash and Dakota's adventures together. While I can't promise anything right now, I have a feeling there will be more of our girls to come. As Alexis said, my life is richer for having them in my life. When I think about their story ending, I get a lump in my throat. So there will probably be a short story or two featuring Dakota and Ash at some point in the future.
> 
> I hope you've all enjoyed their stories thus far, I know I have. Please let me know if you've enjoyed this chapter. I encourage all of you to go back to the beginning of this series and re-read it along with me. (I do this more often than you might think) I welcome your thoughts. 
> 
> I hope all of your dreams stay large.


End file.
